Phil Parkinson has now been told he has to play Ollie Palmer as Wrexham embark on their promotion run-in.
On Tuesday night, Phil Parkinson made several changes to his Wrexham side as he felt he needed to keep some of his key players fresh.
Luke Young started ahead of Elliot Lee and was immense in midfield while Jacob Mendy was given a rare start at left-back with James McClean shuffled into the engine room.
The change that sparked the biggest controversy, though, was the decision to start Sam Dalby ahead of Ollie Palmer up front.
Dalby has only scored once in League Two this season and has largely left supporters feeling underwhelmed with his performances, while Palmer has done the opposite.
Wrexham’s record signing has impressed with his infectious energy up top and changed the game from the bench with his sheer presence in the 2-1 win over Sutton United.
With Parkinson resting veteran Stephen Fletcher and goal machine Paul Mullin against MK Dons, many thought this was Palmer’s chance to start alongside Jack Marriott, but were ultimately left disappointed when they saw Dalby’s name on the team sheet.
Phil Parkinson now told he has to play Ollie Palmer
With four strikers to pick from, the Wrexham boss is always going to be presented with a selection headache.
Despite this, Rich Fay from the Rob Ryan Red podcast thinks Palmer had to start over Dalby as he’s the better footballer, regardless of where the 32-year-old’s future lies.
He said: “I understand why he played the front two he played, but for myself I just think Palmer is a better footballer than Dalby and you might be playing the long game in that Dalby’s got a future you’ve committed in him but for the short term you’ve got to play Ollie Palmer.”
How does Ollie Palmer compare to Sam Dalby
As an out-and-out striker, Palmer has proven he’s a better option than Dalby for the promotion run-in.
The former AFC Wimbledon marksman averages more shots per game (1.9/0.9), makes more touches (25.8/19.5), successful dribbles (0.6/0.3) and boasts a better goal conversion (10%/4%).
Statistically, Palmer is a better striking option and he offers much more out of possession than the 24-year-old.
As Parkinson said previously, the veteran works himself into the ground and presses the opposition ferociously to win the ball back.
It’s that level of pressure and physical stature that changed the game for Wrexham against Sutton late on and perhaps should have rewarded him with a start on Tuesday night.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get the nod but as Wrexham reach the promotion run-in, Palmer is an option that Parkinson should consider utilising more often.