Wrexham fans are celebrating an important EFL Trophy win after the 1-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night, but there is another key story at play behind the scenes.
While the EFL Trophy appeared to be a distraction from Wrexham’s promotion hopes at first, the Red Dragons have made swift progress in the competition and now have a semi-final tie to look forward to.
Phil Parkinson’s men were able to grind out a narrow 1-0 win at the Racecourse Ground, with a goal from Andy Cannon making all the difference on the night.
But, when you inspect Parkinson’s decisions for the game, namely his team selection, one thing has become abundantly clear for one Wrexham player and his future is not looking good.
Ollie Palmer doesn’t even make the matchday squad for EFL Trophy
When predicting the Wrexham lineup before the game, we half expected Ollie Palmer to get the nod for the cup tie.
Palmer’s inclusion would have been a surprise, but giving him the game time away from the league would have potentially been a shrewd move for Parkinson as he looks to instil some confidence in the flailing forward.
Instead, the Wrexham manager opted for a pairing of Mo Faal and Jack Marriott in attack. Neither player was able to get on the scoresheet or make a meaningful impact, before new signings Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith were introduced.
Palmer didn’t even make the bench for the game, and all things considered, that is a damning indictment of where his Wrexham career is at right now. If Parkinson doesn’t even deem him worthy of involvement in this cup competition, Palmer surely cannot expect to have much of a say on the rest of the season for the Red Dragons.
- READ MORE: Wrexham told they have one major problem that will ‘hurt’ them, but they can still ‘adapt’ in time
What does the rest of the season look like for Ollie Palmer?
Although Palmer looked set to leave the club in January, he was retained for the meantime, and there’s always a chance he could be a difference-maker on his day.
Only time will tell if he can force his way back into contention as Wrexham pursue success on two fronts in the backend of the season.
But, fans who believe Palmer’s new contract was a mistake are now becoming more and more vindicated. The veteran was handed an extension back in October, but with the way things are going, that was surely little more than an attempt to preserve some value for the player rather than a significant signal of intention for Palmer to be a key player from here on out.
It will be a shame when Palmer does move on. He was integral to Wrexham’s rise up the football ladder, but as the club evolves, sentiment has to make way for pragmatism, and Palmer will surely face the exit door in the summer.