Following yesterday’s 5-5 draw with Swindon Town, is Ben Foster’s place between the sticks at Wrexham AFC in doubt?
After securing promotion from the National League last season, Wrexham were hotly tipped by many to secure back-to-back successes. They have not had the best of starts to life in League Two though and have only picked up four points from their opening three home games, shipping a huge 12 goals.
Overall they sit in 15th place, which would be considered a decent start for a team that has just come up from non-league, having picked up a win in midweek against Walsall.
Leaking Goals
What is remarkable though is the number of goals they have shipped, 13. Fortunately, they are scoring at an equal rate, but how long is this sustainable?
Foster, now 40-years-old, was seen to be caught fairly static for at least two of the goals conceded on Saturday as Swindon Town raced into a 4-1 first-half lead.
With the goalkeeper always under the spotlight given his high-profile past, it will surely be a matter of time before he is pulled from the starting lineup. Mark Howard and Rob Lainton are the current backup choices but, given the money and potential pull that Wrexham still have, they may look beyond their current squad to explore options before the transfer window closes.
Before the season began, manager Phil Parkinson was thrilled when Foster agreed to a further one-year contract, but seeing as it’s his job that is ultimately on the line, he may be forced to reconsider his words;
“It’s a key signing for us because we all saw the impact, he had not just on the pitch but also around the training ground, and we are all looking forward to working with him again next season.”
Writer’s View
Wrexham have not found the start of this season as comfortable as they expected, or at least what their fans and many pundits thought. It is still early, and they are adjusting, but if veteran ‘keeper Foster can’t adjust quickly, they could find themselves chasing games far too often, and lose ground from the pack at the top of the table.
It is very much a case of stick or twist, but with the window starting to shut, time is not on Parkinson’s side to decide on his gamble.
