Wrexham are back in action again tonight, with a home tie against Stevenage to deal with for Phil Parkinson and the Red Dragons.
Coming off the back of an important 1-1 draw against league leaders Birmingham City last week, Wrexham now need to step up their game once more and secure a big three points against Stevenage.
Anyone planning to watch Wrexham versus Stevenage will know that Phil Parkinson’s side are hot favourites for the win, but there are some big decisions for the gaffer to make.
We’ve already established what we think the Wrexham predicted XI will be for the game, but there is one huge surprise Parkinson could spring on the night.
Phil Parkinson might throw Ryan Longman straight into the team
Wrexham fans are abuzz after the signing of Ryan Longman was confirmed last week, and we could well see the new boy thrown straight into the action by Parkinson.
Normally, managers prefer to give new players a bit of time to settle in and earn their place in the team, but Parkinson is not a normal manager.
The Wrexham manager has finally got his first new signing of the January transfer window through the door, and he will be desperate to try something new to get his team firing again. Longman could well be the key to that.
Putting Longman straight into the team would not only revitalise the Wrexham lineup, it would also be a great motivator for others in the squad to realise that their place could be under threat.
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Wrexham must switch to a 4-3-3 to get the best out of Longman
The only problem is, how would Ryan Longman fit into the Wrexham team? Well, it could mean a drastic change for Parkinson, including a complete system change from his preferred 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3.
Longman operates out wide, but with Ryan Barnett in great form and James McClean being the Wrexham captain, the new man may need to be utilised higher up the pitch as part of a front three.
Parkinson, then, may consider moving Elliot Lee out wide to the left, with one of Jack Marriott, Ollie Palmer, Steven Fletcher, or Paul Mullin through the middle, and Longman out on the right.
With this change, Barnett and McClean would drop a little deeper, with scope to roam when Wrexham are in possession. Meanwhile, the midfield three of George Dobson, Matty James, and Ollie Rathbone would be unchanged.
Experts claim Parkinson needs a new game plan, and this could be the perfect opportunity to try out a radical change.