Five Things We’ve Learned About Wrexham So Far This Season

Wrexham sit midtable in the EFL Championship as they enter the first international break of the new 2026–27 season.

Phil Parkinson's side rose to 14th with their impressive 2-1 win over Southampton at the weekend, only the second victory they have recorded across the opening eight matches. The Red Dragons could have no complaints about their two defeats, against Birmingham City and West Ham United, while they have drawn half of their matches overall.

Wrexham will hope the international break comes at a good time, allowing them to get some key players back to full fitness and begin their rise up the table.

In the meantime, here are five things we have learned during the opening weeks of the campaign.

Striker Shortage

Kieffer Moore has three goals in the Championship so far. | Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images

Wrexham insisted they were happy with their striker options during the summer transfer window and opted against signing another forward as part of their $48 million revamp. In fairness, Kieffer Moore has started the season very well, but there are already concerns over how reliant they are on him, just as was the case a year ago.

The Red Dragons have scored only nine goals this season, three of which came in one match, with only five teams having scored fewer goals across the opening eight games. Wrexham also sit 17th in the Championship for expected goals (xG) this season and are underperforming that by 1.9 goals.

If they can keep Moore fit, they will have a decent chance of reaching the playoffs, although that is easier said than done. He managed 13 goals last season, but only one came in the second half of the campaign. He could be at risk of a similar burnout this time around, particularly if he isn’t going to get much of a rest during the international break.

Defensive Improvement

Wrexham goalkeeper Anthony Patterson during the Sky Bet Championship match at The Racecourse Ground — Anthony Patterson has enjoyed a decent start to life in North Wales. | Cody Froggatt/PA Images/Getty Images

It might sound ridiculous after the recent 6-0 defeat to West Ham, but Wrexham have actually been better at the back this season. Although they have kept clean sheets in only two of their eight league matches, the feeling is that they should have had another against Cardiff City on the opening day and could have recorded another against Watford if not for one lapse in concentration.

That, of course, counts for very little when it comes to the league table, but this stage is all about figuring out which trends are temporary and which risk becoming bigger issues. Even after the heaviest defeat of the Hollywood era, Wrexham still have the eighth-best xG against figure in the Championship at 10.5, putting them one place above Southampton and just behind West Ham.

Wrexham have been much better at defending from open play than they were last season, with the real concern being their vulnerability from set pieces. Only three teams have conceded more set-piece goals than the four Wrexham have shipped across their opening eight matches.

Winging It

Wrexham signed seven players in the summer, and none have quite had the same impact as wide recruits Jacques Ekomié and Issa Kaboré. Although it was fellow signing Danny Imray who started the season brightest, Ekomié has set the standard across his first six matches with three goal contributions.

The most recent came in the weekend win over Southampton, when he battled until the very end to create their winning goal out of nothing. Ekomié raced onto a flicked header before putting a menacing cross into the box that was turned into the net by Southampton defender Keven Schlotterbeck.

Parkinson's side effectively played all of last season without a natural left wingback, and although George Thomason did his best out of position, the impact Ekomié has made out wide has been startling. With the Wrexham manager unlikely to change formation anytime soon, he must have excellent wingbacks to make the tactical setup work.

In Parky They Trust

Wrexham fans chanted for Phil Parkinson throughout the Southampton match. | Cody Froggatt/PA Images/Getty Images

Parkinson came under plenty of criticism following the 6-0 hammering against West Ham, but Wrexham supporters responded in style with their vocal backing of the manager. The 58-year-old was serenaded around the Racecourse Ground ahead of the weekend win over Southampton, while his name reverberated around the stadium at fulltime as fans stayed behind in another show of support.

It was also convenient that, in the days before the match, a pre-recorded interview with co-owner Rob Mac was released in which he insisted the manager had earned “a lot of wiggle room.”

“Phil has shown over and over again that he can win at every level, so far. So I don’t see why he doesn’t have as much room as he can possibly have over the next few years to continue to prove it,” Mac said.

After another Parky masterclass was met so warmly by the home supporters, it is hard to see that wiggle room getting smaller anytime soon.

Are Wrexham Actually Any Better?

Wrexham players during win over Southampton. — Wrexham have three weeks until the season resumes against Derby County. | Cody Froggatt/PA Images/Getty Images

The weekend victory certainly lifted spirits, but the biggest question at Wrexham right now is whether they are actually any better than they were last season. The very fact that we are asking the question would suggest they are not.

Wrexham were 14th in the table on nine points after eight matches last season and are 14th on 10 points after eight matches this season. In both cases, they are also just three points from the playoffs, with the real test to come during the festive fixture congestion.

The Red Dragons recorded their best-ever league finish last season as they narrowly missed out on the playoffs. A repeat of that would by no means be a disaster, but having spent $48 million in the summer, it is concerning to see just how far off the best teams in the division they still are.

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