Wrexham sit second in League One but Phil Parkinson has been through some tinkering with his striking options of late.
Wrexham got back to winning ways over the weekend, beating Exeter City 3-0 at the STōK Cae Ras.
Phil Parkinson wanted a response after losing 1-0 at Stockport County and Wrexham duly obliged.
Max Cleworth, Ollie Palmer and Ollie Rathbone were all on the scoresheet in a fine Wrexham win.
That result sees Wrexham go back up to second place in the table, above Birmingham City after their shock defeat at struggling Shrewsbury Town.
Parkinson changed it up by going with Palmer as a lone striker with Elliot Lee operating just behind him – and it worked as Wrexham won comfortably.
Phil Parkinson on Steven Fletcher
Wrexham are trying to find the magic formula in attack with Paul Mullin struggling for goals this season.
Jack Marriott is injured, Modou Faal is a long-term project, new signing Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is still getting up to speed and Palmer isn’t exactly prolific.
Wrexham are also missing Steven Fletcher right now with the veteran striker currently out injured.
Fletcher picked up a knee problem in October before Parkinson confirmed a setback for Fletcher earlier this month.
Parkinson has hailed Fletcher as ‘immense’ and the Scot will hope to be back in action soon enough.
Parkinson has now offered even more paise for Fletcher will speaking to Men in Blazers, suggesting that he loved the balance of his attack in the early weeks of the season.
Wrexham used Marriott and Palmer up top together before unleashing Mullin and Fletcher off the bench.
Parkinson loved that approach and drew attention to Fletcher’s displays off the bench, branding him ‘unplayable’ when he comes on.
“I think, if you look at that start of the season, I think we were top scorers after five or six games and we had a nice balance where we had Palmer and Marriott, then Mullin and Fletcher coming off the bench on 60 minutes and I like that, I like the feel of that,” said Parkinson.
“Fletch is outstanding when he comes off the bench – he’s almost unplayable,” he added.
Fletcher may be in his final Wrexham season
Parkinson clearly loves Fletcher and will hope to have him fit and firing once again very soon.
Fletcher is out of contract at the end of the season though and we would be surprised to see him in action for Wrexham next term.
The Scot turns 38 in March and and these injury blows show that Wrexham can’t rely on his on a regular basis anymore.
Wrexham are looking to sign a new striker in January and that may be with the idea of letting Fletcher go at the end of the season.
Fletcher can still have a big impact this season but his longer-term future at Wrexham looks questionable.