Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson could replicate the tactics utilised by one Premier League giant as he looks to turn around the tricky start to the season.
It has been a difficult start to the 2025/26 Championship season for Wrexham, with Phil Parkinson’s side being dealt two successive defeats.
Wrexham lost to West Brom last time out, with the Red Dragons’ defensive woes leading to a 3-2 defeat at the Racecourse Ground.
Many have questioned Phil Parkinson’s decisions at Wrexham, including a decision to utilise Danny Ward in-between the sticks over Arthur Okonkwo.
It is clear that Wrexham have been taken off guard by the significant jump up in quality of the Championship, and that could be dealt with by replicating the tactics utilised by one Premier League giant.
Why Phil Parkinson could replicate Man United’s system at Wrexham
So far this season, Phil Parkinson has relied upon a 3-5-2 formation, which has seen Wrexham threaten on the front foot, but ultimately struggle in defence.
There is also a concern that Wrexham have a limited number of central midfielders, so the potential of injuries could cause fresh concerns for Parkinson at some point this season.
It could be a case that, if Wrexham boss Parkinson altered his formation, he could see success, and a blueprint he could potentially follow is Man United’s 3-4-2-1.
This would help Parkinson provide more width to his side, whilst also using a formation that doesn’t over-rely on having several central-midfielders in the squad.
Having more wide players could also bring out the best of Kieffer Moore and his ability to poach in the box, due to there being an emphasis on getting the ball into either flank before looking to find the Welsh talisman with crosses into the box.
How Wrexham could line up if Phil Parkinson replicates Man United’s system
If Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson was to ever experiment with the 3-4-2-1 formation, in between the sticks, Danny Ward will likely continue, whilst an unchanged defence of Conor Coady, Max Cleworth and Lewis Brunt would also be expected.
The changes would appear in the centre of the park as Parkinson would have to leave out one midfielder, which would likely be Matty James, leaving Lewis O’Brien and George Dobson in the side. Out wide, it would be likely that Liberato Cacace and Ryan Barnett would be utilised at wing-back.
Because of the addition of wingers to the side, Parkinson could bring both James McClean and Ryan Longman into the side, whilst utilising Kieffer Moore up front.
After the injury sustained by Josh Windass and the run of difficult results, there is no better time for Parkinson to experiment with his side, and this formation could be the key to success for Wrexham this season.