Phil Parkinson has been warned that Wrexham are so much worse off without key player James McClean.
James McClean picked up his 10th yellow card of the season in the goalless draw against Harrogate last week and was suspended for their defeat to Tranmere Rovers.
The versatile Irishman will also miss the trip to Grimsby Town this weekend before returning for their mouth-watering clash against Mansfield Town.
A former Premier League level player, McClean’s quality shines through the rest of this Wrexham side, whether he’s told to play as a left wing-back or in central midfield.
Phil Parkinson decided to switch the 34-year-old into a central position recently and it worked wonders as his technical attributes flourished further forward.
Instead of firing ammunition into the box, McClean used his wand of a left foot to unpick the opposition’s defence, providing two assists and two goals in his five appearances from midfield.
It will therefore come as no surprise to anyone that he was sorely missed in the loss to Tranmere as the Reds were devoid of any creativity or guile in attacking areas.
Wrexham are far worse without James McClean
You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone and Parkinson has certainly realised they are far worse without their Irish conductor.
McClean’s absence is a topic that was discussed on the Rob Ryan Red podcast, with journalist Rich Fay claiming that he’s the missing piece to the puzzle along with Thomas O’Connor and George Evans.
“I just think the missing piece of the jigsaw here is, two elements to this really, one is we spoke about the importance of O’Connor and Evans and how much of a miss they’ve been,” Fay said. “Another thing as well, which is fresh from the weekend, the elephant in the room, James McClean is very good at football and without him, we’ve dropped off.
“He just offers so much, particularly in the final stage of a game because his fitness levels are so high, he just doesn’t drop. So, we’re without some very key starters there, all in a similar position.”
McClean is vital to Wrexham’s promotion chances
In the loss to Tranmere, Wrexham were crying out for a moment of brilliance from one of their individuals and without McClean, that was in short supply.
The former Sunderland winger is great at producing a piece of class when it matters most, and that was desperately desired in Saturday’s defeat.
McClean is a different animal compared to the rest of Wrexham’s midfielders; his fitness levels are off the charts, his left foot wreaks havoc against the opposition and his calmness on the ball brings the best out of his teammates.
At the business end of the season, Parkinson needs all three of those attributes to come to the fore and while he’s forced to miss out on the Grimsby clash this weekend, McClean’s return will be pivotal to their chances of going up automatically.