Wrexham remain without a win at home in the Championship as QPR pile on the misery.
Phil Parkinson’s side were on the back foot from the get-go and fell behind as Arthur Okonkwo’s save ricocheted off Conor Coady and into the back of the net.
Wrexham fans were furious at their side’s defending and they were cut open once again before half time as Richard Kone fired a second.
Kieffer Moore gave the Red Dragons a glimmer of hope with a second half header before Rumarn Burrell put the game beyond doubt. One Wrexham performance will surely have grabbed the attention of the manager.
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Matty James struggles in Wrexham midfield during QPR defeat
Matty James was an integral part of the promotion side last season after arriving on a free transfer in October 2024.
His experience and composure in the middle of the park brought a calmness to the side and Parkinson would have been hoping for that to continue into the Championship campaign.
However, the step up to the second tier is huge and James is one of the players that are getting caught out from that leap in quality.
| Wrexham v QPR match statistics | Matty James |
| Minutes played | 61 |
| Touches | 32 |
| Possession lost | 4 |
| Clearance | 1 |
| Total tackles | 1 |
Whilst Wrexham’s defending was not up to scratch, the midfield was also wide open and too easy to play through.
James is suffering playing the holding role with the pace of the Championship leaving him often trailing one or two yards behind the play.
Phil Parkinson must start Ben Sheaf in Wrexham’s next fixture at Norwich
Parkinson can’t wait to see Ben Sheaf in action and the Wrexham boss got a glimmer of his new signing as he replaced James in the 61st minute.
Sheaf straight away showed a bit more mobility in the middle of the park and is used to the pace and quality of the division having spent years at Coventry City.
There are question marks over Sheaf’s ability to stay fit, however, Parkinson should be considering a change to his midfield for the fixture at Norwich.
That is not to say James’s job is done this season, he will still provide valuable cover and an option from the bench.
However, Wrexham need some more dynamism in midfield and the 34-year-old is not the man to provide that.