Wrexham pulled off a magnificent result against Chelsea as several players impressed but there was one who stood out completely.
Wrexham are gearing up for their return to League One, starting with a fixture at the Racecourse Ground against Wycombe Wanderers on August 10th.
The Reds are currently soaking up the sun in the United States while humbling two Premier League sides in the process.
Phil Parkinson’s men were impressive in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth and followed that up with an even better result by sharing the spoils with Chelsea.
It’s a performance that saw Wrexham receive praise for their ‘high intensity’, as they pressed well against superior opposition and took their chances when they arrived.
Luke Bolton and substitute Jack Marriott got their names on the scoresheet but it wasn’t that duo who impressed the most, as one player was the ‘standout’ in Santa Clara.
George Dobson was the ‘standout’ Wrexham player vs Chelsea
Dobson was captured on a free transfer after agreeing to terminate his contract with Hungarian side Fehervar.
Arriving with bucket loads of League One experience with Charlton Athletic, having played 265 times in the third tier, Wrexham supporters saw him in action in the United States, where he was used as a centre-back against Bournemouth.
However, in the draw against Chelsea, he returned to his more familiar role as a holding midfielder, starting alongside James Jones and Elliot Lee.
Dobson was the deepest of the three midfielders and looked assured in midfield while possessing the energy and tenacity to win the ball back.
Journalist Nathan Salt was impressed by his display in the engine room, hailing the ‘magic’ midfielder as the ‘standout’ against the likes of Reece James and Romeo Lavia.
Speaking on the Rob Ryan Red podcast, Salt said: “I thought Dobson was a real standout. I felt he looked a bit off the pace in the Bournemouth game, didn’t quite look there fitness-wise but really took a step forward today and played over the 60 minutes I think. So he got some real minutes in the tank; great ball I just wanna say for McClean that he played through.”
George Dobson’s stats vs Chelsea
Dobson has been brought into Wrexham to help break up play in the middle of the park while complementing the likes of George Evans and Andy Cannon, who share similar strengths.
The 26-year-old – who captained Charlton Athletic last term – was fortunate to not get sent off, although he did look the part as a combative midfielder.
| George Dobson’s stats vs Chelsea | Statistic |
| Minutes played | 77 |
| Touches | 35 |
| Long balls (acc.) | 4/4 (100%) |
| Accurate passes | 24/26 (92%) |
| Ground duels (won) | 10 (6) |
| Total tackles | 5 |
| Dribble attempts (succ.) | 1 (1) |
Whilst it was only a friendly, the Englishman still held his own against some top-level players and this preparation will only increase his chances of becoming a dominant figure in the third tier.
Dobson also knows he has several players to compete with for a starting place and displays – like the one against Chelsea – will only give him a better opportunity of being selected in the starting XI moving forward.