Wrexham have been unbeaten for the last four games in the Championship and will hope to continue this when they face Stoke City after the international break.
Phil Parkinson and the Red Dragons will be raring to get their campaign back underway, aiming to climb the table in the coming weeks by bringing an end to a worrying Wrexham stat.
The manager has kept the team consistent through this unbeaten run, with the only noticeable change being Lewis Brunt and Callum Doyle for the Birmingham City draw.
While it may be expected that the team should remain similar, there should be one alteration to the team due to the stats from the opening nine games of the season.
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James McClean should start at left wing-back, replacing Ryan Longman
The former Republic of Ireland international has had to be happy with a spot on the bench more often than not this campaign due to Ryan Longman impressing in his deputising role as Liberato Cacace is injured.
Longman has impressed in this period, scoring against Norwich City as the Red Dragons secured their second win of the season and beginning this unbeaten run in the Championship.
However, according to Opta and their stats, the club captain should come back into the team, and this has been seen in James McClean’s work during the international break to impress Parkinson.
McClean has had fewer minutes than Longman; however, his defensive stats are similar to the 24-year-old, with the former Irish international having won 70.8% of his ground duels compared to 48.2% from the Englishman.
While going forward, the former Derry City man seems to be more accurate in the final third, as his pass success is 82.6% compared to Longman’s 71.4%.
| Ryan Longman | James McClean | |
| Appearances | 9 | 8 |
| Minutes | 647 | 285 |
| Ground Duels Total | 56 | 24 |
| Ground Duels Won | 27 | 17 |
| Ground Duels % | 48.2% | 70.8% |
| Tackles | 12 | 11 |
| Final Third Passes | 56 | 23 |
| Final Third Accurate Passes | 40 | 19 |
| Final Third Accurate Passes % | 71.4% | 82.6% |
| Crosses | 37 | 15 |
| Accurate Crosses | 14 | 3 |
| Accurate Crosses % | 37.8% | 20% |
McClean loves to get a cross into a box and has had the third most in the team, with only Issa Kabore and Longman having more.
Longman has demonstrated that he has been better at crossing and more accurate; however, given the time and the chance, McClean could improve that should he start against his former club, Stoke.
Phil Parkinson admires James McClean leadership qualities
James McClean is the fittest Wrexham player, with this being the opinion of Kev Mulholland, Head of Performance and Sports Science, as he spoke on That Wrexham podcast.
The Irishman has had a positive impact on the side since joining and will remain for a bit longer, as he signed a contract extension, with the manager keeping him around for his leadership.
Speaking to the BBC in August 2024, he said: “James has got the armband.
“Like a lot of managers say when they get asked questions about captains, we have a group of senior players whom I speak to.
“James is at the forefront of that because he’s got great experience and has got real leadership qualities, not just on Saturdays, but during the week in training.
“It’s great to have a player of Jimmy’s experience, who has captained his country, leading Wrexham.
“That’s the certain level of player we need to bring to the club who thrive on the expectation here at the club.
“James McClean loves that. The bigger the game, the better Jimmy’s going to play.”