Sitting second with seven wins from 12, the phrase ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ certainly applies to Phil Parkinson’s high-flying Wrexham outfit.
Despite a host of summer signings, the Red Dragons boss has remained loyal to a central crop of trusted lieutenants during the opening weeks of the new campaign.
No fewer than ten players have started nine or more of their dozen League One games.
Max Cleworth surely would have kept his place in Phil Parkinson’s XI too, if not for an injury which brought an end to his run of eight successive third-tier starts. Cleworth is stepping up his return and should be back in Wrexham action shortly.
In the meantime, with Parkinson reluctant to shuffle his pack too dramatically from game to game, many of Wrexham’s new faces have had to bide their time.
Shaun Harvey has no concerns with Wrexham’s summer signings
Parkinson has been full of praise for Mo Faal’s development in Wales but the former West Brom youngster had to wait until the midweek stalemate with Huddersfield Town to make his League One bow.
Sebastian Revan, another who arrived from the Midlands, has started only twice in the division. Lewis Brunt, Dan Scarr and Ollie Rathbone have been included in Parkinson’s first XI on just six occasions between them too in 2024/25.
Back-up goalkeeper Callum Burton is yet to feature with Arthur Okonkwo firmly established as the number one.
But, as director Shaun Harvey is keen to point out, the season is a long one. Opportunities will arise as fatigue, injuries and suspensions set in.
And, then, the depth and the quality of Wrexham’s squad will come to the fore.
“We have brought players in and some haven’t yet contributed on a regular basis,” Harvey tells The Leader Live. “But we are all convinced that they will.
“It was interesting in the game against Northampton [the recent 4-1 win]. We ended up with six of the eight new signings on the pitch at the end of the game. That is the highest number that we have had so far this season.
“We nearly got to a stage where all of them were on the pitch for the first time! That shows the gradual transition and tells you how strong the existing squad is.”
Harvey lauds Phil Parkinson’s squad management
Harvey believes that Parkinson made the right call keeping faith with those who helped Wrexham climb out of League Two at the first time of asking.
The former Football League chief executive feels that a team looking for three successive promotions might have shot themselves in the foot trying to make too many changes in such a short period of time.
“For the opening game of the season, there was only Arthur and George [Dobson] in the starting line-up [of the new signings],” Harvey adds, the duo ever-presents so far this term.
“Clubs struggle when everything has to change and everything has to work first time. We have got ourselves into a position where we can take time, where we can allow that development and settling in.
“And when a player doesn’t immediately deliver, that doesn’t mean they should be written off or the club has got it wrong.
“You have got to sit back and ask yourself what part of the journey is that player going to play his part because I am certain they all will.”
Wrexham, this weekend, will face a Charlton Athletic side who have already proven themselves capable of bloodying the noses of the division’s automatic promotion challengers. Nathan Jones’ Addicks handed big-spending Birmingham City their first defeat of 2024/25 earlier in October.