Wrexham transfer investment will pay off as two players wait for lift-off under Phil Parkinson

Wrexham have made a superb start to the season and sit second in the League One table.

The second international break of the season is here, though this is technically Wrexham’s first.

Wrexham fulfilled the home clash with Shrewsbury Town in the last break, so players will certainly relish a weekend off.

Phil Parkinson will be delighted with his players too as Wrexham sit second in the League One table.

Six wins from 10 is a hugely impressive start for Wrexham and Parkinson’s side sit only behind Birmingham City.

Ollie Rathbone of Wrexham AFC runs with the ball during the Bristol Street Motors Trophy match between Wrexham and Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 at R...

Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images

Wrexham summer investment

Wrexham can point to some summer signings who have made a big impact.

Arthur Okonkwo and George Dobson have been outstanding and are top performers in their position at this level.

Others have shown potential for the future with Sebastian Revan and Lewis Brunt showing promising signs.

Wrexham have mostly relied on stars from the last two seasons though as even the club’s two biggest summer signings are struggling for minutes.

Wrexham paid up to around £1million to purchase midfielder Ollie Rathbone and striker Modou Faal in a significant investment for Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

Outsiders may have expected both players in to play prominent roles given the fees Wrexham paid, both eclipsing the previous record of £300,000 on Ollie Palmer.

 

Give Ollie Rathbone and Modou Faal time

Rathbone has only played 198 minutes across five league appearances whilst Faal hasn’t even stepped onto the pitch in league action.

This certainly isn’t a case of wasted funds though and we are confident that these signings will prove their worth in good time.

Rathbone’s versatility as a box-to-box midfielder or as more of an advanced midfielder means the chances will come for him.

Parkinson has predominantly trusted Andy Cannon and Elliot Lee alongside Dobson, forming a difficult midfield to break into.

Former Rotherham United ace Rathbone has plenty of League One experience under his belt and his energy will make a real impact at some stage this season and beyond.

Striker Faal is a slightly different story as his arrival always seemed to be with a view towards the long term.

Faal is young and raw with Wrexham ultimately investing in potential having seen him impress in League One with Doncaster Rovers and Walsall.

The giant striker almost certainly appears to be the long-term heir to veterans Ollie Palmer and Steven Fletcher as a target man.

Faal isn’t even making the League One matchday squad right now and that is absolutely fine as far as Wrexham are concerned.

The focus will be on building Faal up in the background and allowing him to learn from veteran forwards around him.

Faal may not make a huge impact in the first half of the season, but this is a long-term investment which will hopefully pay off in the future.

League One sides may be envious of Wrexham being able to drop £1million on a couple of players and barely use them.

The season is still young though and we believe both Rathbone and Faal will justify their price tags in the future, with both having big roles to play in the months and years ahead.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*