Wrexham came up short in the Championship once again, losing 3-2 at home to West Brom.
On the opening day of the season, Wrexham held their own against Southampton in what ended as a 2-1 defeat.
Phil Parkinson was left devastated by the defeat, feeling that his side deserved at least a point if not all three, having led the game right up until the 90th minute.
But Wrexham were much less impressive on Saturday against West Brom. The Baggies scored the first goal of the game in the first half before Lewis O’Brien scored on his debut to make the game 1-1 at half-time.
The two second half goals saw the Baggies regain the lead, with Sam Smith scoring a 95th minute second for Wrexham who eventually lost 3-2 against West Brom.
Here are five things we learned about Wrexham after the defeat against West Brom at the Racecourse…
Wrexham change of playing style is becoming clear
From the opening 45 minutes at least, it was clear that Wrexham have made a few changes to their style of play this season, whether that’s because of the arrival of more quality, top tier players, or an attempt to suit the Championship more.
Overall, Wrexham had 51% of possession, and against a West Brom side who most likely expected to come to the Racecourse and dominate possession themselves. Whilst the Dragons failed to do all that much with their first half possession up until O’Brien’s goal, it certainly showcases a slight change in style from Parkinson, who was previously a much more direct type of manager.
Ollie Palmer is finished at Wrexham
Ollie Palmer‘s future at Wrexham has been a talking point throughout the summer transfer window. For the most part, it looked as though Palmer has been well out of contention under Parkinson this season.
But in midweek, Palmer scored two goals in a comeback win against Hull City, sparking speculation that he may well be given a chance to impress in the Championship. Despite that, Parkinson left Palmer out of his matchday squad against West Brom on Saturday, suggesting that Palmer is in fact out of the equation and set to leave.
Wrexham ran out of ideas vs West Brom
There were spells in the game against West Brom where Wrexham looked painfully one-dimensional. And that dimension was simply swinging crosses into the box, whether that be from one of the wing-backs from a deeper position, or from one of the more forward players breaking forward.
Wrexham only really fashion chances when they cross the ball into the box. It’s not a bad tactic, of course, but Parkinson will need more ideas going into the season. Championship teams will quickly figure out Wrexham and find a way to nullify their threat.
- READ MORE: Wrexham fans all agree on Danny Ward after West Brom, ‘Phil Parkinson seriously needs to think’
Phil Parkinson already has a goalkeeper dilemma
Danny Ward is already proving to be a divisive player among Wrexham fans. When Parkinson signed Ward in the summer, Wrexham fans immediately gave split opinions on Ward who had earned a lot of critics in his previous spell at Leicester City. To everyone’s surprise, Ward started in goal against Southampton last weekend and kept his spot in the team for this West Brom game.
And he looked steady up until West Brom’s second goal where he was beaten too easily at his near post. Although not a howler, it was certainly somewhere where Ward could have done better and Parkinson simply can’t afford too many of these mistakes across the season.
Wrexham have been dealt an early reality check
Wrexham came into the Championship with a lot of optimism. There were enough fans and outsiders talking about a potential fourth straight promotion for Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s side. But in that opening two games they’ve certainly been dealt a reality check.
Albeit against two big hitters in the Championship, Wrexham have really been knocked back and shown just how difficult the championship is going to be this season. It’s still early doors and Wrexham could still enjoy a very successful season.
But pretty quickly the Dragons have found out that they might well have their work cut out for them this time around.