Hollywood-owned Wrexham have received pointed advice on exactly where to strengthen their squad in the upcoming January transfer window if they are to keep their Premier League dream alive.
Deeney's Defensive Diagnosis
The guidance comes from former Watford and Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who believes manager Phil Parkinson must prioritise adding energy to his midfield and solidity to his back line. Deeney's comments follow Wrexham's thrilling 5-3 Boxing Day victory over Sheffield United, a result that lifted the Red Dragons to 13th in the Championship table.
While praising the attacking threat of Kieffer Moore, Nathan Broadhead, and Josh Windass, Deeney highlighted a recurring weakness. "Those three will get you enough goals to be up there," he said on CBS Sports Golazo. "It's whether they can be better defensively. You see the goals that they're conceding and the chances they're conceding. In the Championship, you'll get punished for that."
The Midfield Energy Crisis
Deeney specifically identified the centre of the park as an area needing urgent reinforcement. He acknowledged the technical quality of Matty James but argued the team's current style leaves the midfield exposed. "If the game's going to be so spread as it is at the moment, it's going to kill that midfield," Deeney explained. "You need more energy if they're to be where they want to be, which is in the play-offs."
This assessment follows a mixed first half of the season for Wrexham. After a tough start with three defeats in their first five games following promotion from League One, the team embarked on an impressive nine-match unbeaten league run. However, that sequence ended with a 2-0 defeat at Hull on December 10th, and a late error from goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo led to a 2-1 loss at Swansea just last week.
The Consistency Challenge
Former West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker echoed concerns about the team's ability to sustain form, identifying it as the major hurdle to their promotion ambitions. "Consistency plays a part," Reo-Coker stated. "They'll go into a run of two or three good results and then they'll have quite a few indifferent results. When it comes to the Championship... consistency is key. Wrexham have got that ability to lose the games that you don't expect them to."
Club bosses, including owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have confirmed that funds will be available to Parkinson in January. This marks a strategic shift from the summer, when the club made 13 new signings at an estimated cost of £33 million.
Chief executive Michael Williamson described the winter market as "opportunistic," suggesting the focus would be on targeted additions. "You look at your areas within the squad that you could use some additional support," Williamson said, "whether it's because of injuries or if it's because of depth... Then it's about whether or not that added piece is available."
Currently sitting five points adrift of the play-off places, Wrexham's hierarchy now faces a critical January. The advice from experts is clear: to transform their top-flight aspirations into a tangible challenge, investment in midfield dynamism and defensive resilience is non-negotiable.
