Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has urged his side to tighten up defensively as they look to climb the Championship table.
The Reds travel to Carrow Road to face Norwich City tomorrow after suffering a 3-1 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers last weekend.
Goals Flowing But Defence A Concern
Despite sitting 21st with just four points from their opening five matches, Wrexham have found the net in every league and cup game so far this season. New signing Kieffer Moore has scored five times in four appearances, including a consolation against QPR, and Parkinson believes his attack is not the problem.
“The hardest thing in football is to score and we’ve got a lot of options striker-wise to score,” he said. “But we’ve got to give ourselves a chance. We need a toughness about us, which we showed at Millwall. All the goals against QPR were avoidable, and we can’t keep making life difficult for ourselves.”
Moore has quickly established himself as the focal point of the Wrexham attack since joining from Sheffield United in the summer. Parkinson praised the striker’s influence, calling him “a bit of a throwback” and stressing that providing him with quality service would be key to turning performances into results.
EFL Championship
Parkinson Calls For Patience
Wrexham’s rise through the divisions has been extraordinary, with three consecutive promotions taking them into the Championship for the first time in decades. A busy summer saw 13 new arrivals at the Racecourse Ground, but Parkinson acknowledged that moulding the new squad will take time.
“Everyone gets frustrated when we lose and I totally understand that,” he admitted. “But I’m looking at the bigger picture of where I know we can get to. I’ve just got to stay calm and not make decisions chasing that win which might impact us going forward.”
Three deadline-day signings – Dominic Hyam, Issa Kabore and Ben Sheaf – were named on the bench against QPR and could feature at Norwich. Midfielders Josh Windass and George Thomason are also back in contention after recovering from injuries, giving Parkinson more options as he looks to stabilise results.
Writer’s View
Wrexham’s start to life in the Championship has been difficult, but hardly disastrous given the scale of their summer rebuild. Scoring has not been the issue, with Moore already proving a handful for second-tier defences. Shoring up at the back is the priority if they are to move clear of early-season trouble.
Tomorrow’s trip to Norwich will provide another stern test, but with new signings bedding in and players returning from injury, Parkinson will hope the coming weeks begin to reflect the long-term vision he insists is in place.
