Phil Parkinson made a surprise tactical decision in Wrexham’s draw against Chelsea and it could spell bad news for some of his players.
Wrexham caused the footballing world to stand up and applaud as they secured a brilliant 2-2 draw against the riches of Chelsea.
Hollywood co-owner Rob McElhenney was in attendance for the game while Ryan Reynolds was absent as goals from Luke Bolton and substitute Jack Marriott capped off a promising display.
Phil Parkinson’s men may have only had 25% possession but they were clinical when they had it, scoring twice from just six attempts on goal as Enzo Maresca was left with no answer to their counter-attacks.
The match saw new outfield signings Lewis Brunt, Sebastian Revan and George Dobson all start while there was one surprise tactical decision that will have shocked a few people.
Phil Parkinson started James McClean as a striker in draw vs Chelsea
Pre-season is the best opportunity to experiment with new tactical nuances and on this occasion, Parkinson decided to use James McClean as a striker alongside Ollie Palmer.
The 35-year-old is normally deployed as a wing-back or a central midfielder in the manager’s trusted 5-3-2 system however, despite having several striking options on the bench, his decision to play the Irishman there will have left many baffled.
The likes of Marriott, Sam Dalby, Jake Bickerstaff and Billy Waters will have all looked on as a midfielder lead the line instead of them, although Marriott did show what he was all about by coming off the bench to score on his weaker left foot.
Whilst we’ll never know why the Wrexham boss trialled McClean as a striker in a difficult match against Chelsea, it could be a cause for concern moving forward, as several players battle for their future at the club.
Wrexham need to sign a proven League One striker
McClean playing as a striker perhaps shows that Parkinson doesn’t trust the likes of Waters and Bickerstaff to play a part in pre-season.
It’s also telling when the Reds have been linked with multiple new forwards in recent days, including a loan move for Tottenham’s Will Lankshear and a permanent transfer for Luton Town striker John McAtee.
McAtee enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Barnsley last term, plundering 15 goals in all competitions, while Lankshear decimated opposition defences in Premier League 2 with 23 strikes in as many appearances.
The two aforementioned players would arguably be upgrades on Waters, Bickerstaff and Waters, who aren’t necessarily good enough to flourish in League One.
With Paul Mullin also sidelined for the first couple of games, there are worries as to where the goals are coming from and sourcing a clinical player in the transfer window could be the correct play.
Indeed, playing McClean as an unorthodox centre-forward doesn’t bode well for the rest of his teammates, who will no doubt be questioning the decision.