Wrexham have had a slow start to the season. But it might be explained by the sheer number of players arriving at the club this summer.
Inevitably, when a team undergoes so many personnel changes, there’s going to be an adjustment period, which is exactly what we’re seeing at Wrexham right now.
During the summer transfer window, Wrexham spent £33million on new players with 13 fresh faces arriving at the Racecourse in total, including three on deadline day.
One of those arriving on deadline day was Ben Sheaf. Wrexham paid £6.5million to sign Sheaf who has since played five Championship games for the Dragons, starting the last four.
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Phil Parkinson explains Ben Sheaf’s slow start at Wrexham
Sheaf is a proven Championship player. He now has 166 total appearances to his name at Championship level and with Coventry City he asserted himself as one of the Football League’s best central midfielders. But it’s been a slow start to life at Wrexham.
Speaking to Leader Live, Parkinson has explained how Sheaf is still getting up to speed after his disrupted start to the season which saw him miss the opening few games through injury at Coventry City.
Parkinson said: “The signings are getting better all the time and the group are bonding together. I feel we’re getting there. I thought Ben was brilliant against Birmingham. We were always going to bring him off because we’re still at that period with him after his disrupted pre-season.
“My aim was 65 minutes to bring him off to make sure going into this international break and when we come back, he’s ready to really go.”
Ben Sheaf facing fresh battle for Wrexham starting spot
Over time, Sheaf will no doubt prevail at the Racecourse and prove to be a very important player for the club. But in this new system and with a disrupted start to the season through injury, it’s slightly slow for Sheaf right now.
And now the former Arsenal academy man has a new player to worry about in Ollie Rathbone. Rathbone is expected to return to action after the international break and Parkinson has hinted that Rathbone could start for Wrexham when fit to do so.
Parkinson recently said: “Ollie travelled with us [to Leicester City]. Ideally we’d like to get a game in that international break for him to play because he needs a game. But it’s great to have him back with us and what an option.”
For Parkinson, Rathbone might be a better option from the start than Sheaf, if the latter can’t get back to his very best in the next few weeks.
It’s a nice problem for Parkinson to have though, and the added competition will only help to bring the very best out of every at the club.