A major issue has been pinpointed at Wrexham and Phil Parkinson must resolve it this summer.
It’s hard to believe this is Wrexham’s first season back in the Football League.
Phil Parkinson‘s men, although backed by the riches of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, have taken League Two by storm and are currently on the verge of reaching League One.
The Reds need just five more points from their remaining games to confirm their promotion automatically, although if they beat Forest Green and two of their rivals drop points, they could be popping open a bottle of champagne on Saturday evening.
Despite their current strong position at the top, there are some deficiencies that Parkinson must iron out, including their patchy away form and the current makeup of their squad.
Wrexham’s squad issue now highlighted ahead of the summer
McElhenney and Reynolds have invested heavily in players for the short-term, such as Steven Fletcher and James McClean – two players in their mid to late thirties – but haven’t thought with a longer-term goal in mind.
Wrexham have a whopping 10 players in their squad aged 30 or above, while a further four players, including Paul Mullin, Elliot Lee, Jack Marriott and George Evans will celebrate their 30th birthday this year.
With only six players in the first-team aged 24 or under, Parkinson’s squad is the second oldest in League Two behind only Mansfield Town with an average age of 27.9, as per Transfermarkt.
Speaking on the What the EFL?! podcast, pundit Adrian Clarke has highlighted this as a major issue for McElhenney and Reynolds this summer.
Clarke said: “I do like Wrexham but a lot of old players and I was looking at some of the numbers; 32 players have played for Wrexham this season, 11 of them are 30 or over. And, five more of them turn 30 this year.
“So, that is half of your squad and I’m not saying at 30 you’re done, of course you’re not, but I don’t think you want to be carrying that many senior players in a League One campaign.”
Wrexham must target younger players this summer
Parkinson is faced with an uphill battle to transform the makeup of his squad, as the likes of Fletcher, Ben Tozer and Luke Young – key experienced players – are all out of contract.
Once promotion to League One is sealed, Wrexham must replace that experience with youthful talents in their early to mid-twenties.
Clarke agrees with that switch in strategy, and has urged the Reds to target players between the ages of 22 and 26.
He added: “I would absolutely target more players aged between 22 and 26 that are kind of in their prime, and players with League One experience. Cause you mix them with what they’ve got, and they’ve got a real chance.”
Of the current players in Wrexham’s squad, only Max Cleworth and Tom O’Connor – given their age and potential – are their most saleable assets.
For the Welsh side to be successful in the higher divisions, they must switch their strategy from signing experienced players and instead, target younger players they can develop into future stars.