ไทย
English
中國人
Following a dramatic late victory against Southampton, one might have thought the three-week international break arrived at the worst imaginable moment for Wrexham.
In a departure from the previous fixture calendar, the international break has been extended from two weeks to three, giving national sides the opportunity to play four games within a single window while cutting the number of breaks in the first half of the season from three down to two.
This means we are currently in the middle of a 16-day international break between Championship matchdays, with Wrexham not returning to action until their away trip to Derby County on Saturday, Oct. 10. While it may appear that momentum has been disrupted, the break is not necessarily unwelcome for the Red Dragons.
Injured Players Up to Speed
The most significant benefit for Wrexham is that the extended break will give two crucial players the chance to return to full fitness. Josh Windass was the club's standout performer last season, contributing 17 goals across all competitions and finishing third in the entire Championship for goal involvements.
Windass almost single-handedly steered Wrexham into the playoffs, netting seven of their 13 goals during the closing weeks of the campaign as they narrowly fell short by just a single point. The Red Dragons are considerably stronger when Windass is fit and in form, something that has not been the case during the opening months of the new season.
The 32-year-old was absent throughout preseason and has visibly been playing catch-up across his first five appearances this term. Windass missed the opening two league fixtures and has only started on three occasions, one of which saw him substituted at the interval against Burnley.
Then there is Ben Sheaf. He was Wrexham's standout midfielder last season but also sat out the entire preseason schedule, only making his first appearance of the campaign in the recent win over Southampton. Sheaf featured for 65 minutes in that match, and it was sufficient time to remind everyone of his quality at the base of the Wrexham midfield.
Sheaf played a crucial role in the victory, helping Wrexham maintain possession while also shielding the defensive line for extended periods when his side were out of the ball. Regardless of the opposition, Wrexham are simply a far superior team when he is included in the lineup.
When you factor in the difficult fixtures they have faced and the fact that they have essentially been without their two best players for much of it, Wrexham's start to the season actually looks more encouraging than concerning. If they can get both Sheaf and Windass to full fitness, they could soon be among the strongest sides in the division once again.
New Signings Finally Settled
Another major benefit of the extended break is that Wrexham should be able to bring Deadline Day arrivals Joe Worrall and Callum O'Hare properly up to speed.
The duo signed the day before Wrexham faced Millwall in the EFL Championship, a game that kicked off a run of four fixtures crammed into just 10 days. Not only did the Red Dragons contend with a congested schedule, but three of those matches were lengthy away trips to Millwall, Swansea and West Ham, adding further strain to the situation.
This left the new arrivals with little time to settle into their new environment in North Wales, and they had minimal time on the training pitch to work on tactics, with most sessions dedicated to match recovery and lighter preparations tailored to specific opponents.
It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that Worrall's sole appearance came as a replacement for the injured Dom Hyam against West Ham. O'Hare, meanwhile, has yet to register a direct goal contribution across any of his four outings for his new club.
Both players were recruited to become integral parts of the Wrexham starting eleven, and we could see them both performing to their full potential when Wrexham finally return to competitive action next week.
Parkinson Speculation Silenced
The most welcome news from the international break is the absence of any news surrounding Phil Parkinson. The Wrexham manager faced renewed scrutiny following the 6-0 thrashing at West Ham but responded emphatically with a 2-1 win over Southampton, during which the Racecourse Ground faithful serenaded him with vocal backing.
Parkinson shared a drink with sporting director Steve Nickson two days after the West Ham defeat, while CEO Michael Williamson paid a visit to the club's new training base at Colliers Park a few days later to demonstrate their support for the manager, who continues to enjoy the full confidence of the board.
Even had they fallen to defeat against Southampton, there was never any genuine suggestion that Wrexham would question the future of their celebrated manager so early in the season, though there was an acknowledgment that improvement was needed. There is confidence within the club that progress will follow the international break, once key players are fully fit and new signings are properly embedded. Furthermore, Wrexham also appear to have a more manageable run of fixtures ahead.
Wrexham are acutely aware that promotion to the Premier League is a marathon rather than a sprint, and while they may find it difficult to match parachute-payment clubs West Ham and Wolves in the race for automatic promotion this season, they remain firmly confident of securing a playoff berth.
Parkinson will be afforded all the time necessary to make that ambition a reality.