Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has been urged to change his tactics this season after the significant impact made by one Red Dragons signing.
The Red Dragons have kicked off their 2025/26 season, having notched a win in the EFL Cup after a disappointing defeat away at Southampton.
Wrexham put on a brilliant display in the Championship opener against the Saints, but unfortunately found themselves on the receiving end of two late goals from Ryan Manning and Jack Stephens, leaving Phil Parkinson’s side with a defeat.
Some have questioned whether Parkinson’s side were set up for success tactically by the Wrexham boss, especially with the qualities of some attacking players being potentially limited.
One Wrexham expert believes that Parkinson should not be squeezing the current crop of players into his original system, and that one ‘clever’ player in particular in that formation may not ‘always [be] the way’.
Nathan Salt praises Josh Windass as he calls for Phil Parkinson to have a plan B
Several Wrexham signings have already impressed at this early stage of the season.
Lewis O’Brien arrived from Nottingham Forest for £5m, and he has already transformed the midfield, whilst Kieffer Moore also showed superb quality before his untimely injury.
The signings were always expected to take Wrexham up a notch, but one in particular who has shown incredible quality so far is Josh Windass.
The former Sheffield Wednesday ace scored on his Wrexham debut from the spot, and he has been handed praise from Nathan Salt on that performance, as well as his cameo against Hull City in the EFL Cup.
“I thought Windass showed you how clever he was on the ball,” said Salt. “Those knockdowns from Moore, and he was able to just either play it through or drop it back to O’Brien. It could go over the top or really neat and tidy.”
Salt then discussed the importance of not shoe-horning players into Parkinson, like Windass, suggesting that the Wrexham boss should focus on playing to the forward’s strengths.
“If you’ve got players of that quality, you’ve got to maximize them.
“I think just shoving them into a system that’s worked so well for us isn’t always the way.”
Josh Windass could be Wrexham’s most reliable goal threat
After bagging on his Wrexham debut, it is clear that Josh Windass is still playing at the peak of his powers, and that should continue throughout the Championship campaign.
Last season saw Windass score 13 goals for Sheffield Wednesday, finishing as the club’s top scorer in the Championship, and Phil Parkinson will be expecting similar numbers at the Racecourse Ground from the attacker.
Windass is a perfect player at this level for the transition into a counter-attack, often being the link between midfield and attack. Parkinson must ensure, as a result, that they play to this strength and utilise Windass as the main focal point in attack, as not only can he create, but he can also finish the chances.