Watching Wrexham..

[Cardiff-Cal]

When they were in the National League, plenty of people suggested the real challenge would only start when they were in League Two. When they were doing well in League Two, plenty of people suggested the real challenge would only start when they were in League One.

They seem to be reasonably good at coping with real challenges.

Was there many people suggesting that?

As soon as their promotion from the National League was confirmed they were the bookies favourites to get promoted from League 2 the following season, and around 3rd/4th favourites to go up from League 1 this year.

If they do go up this year it will be interesting to see which will have shorter odds next season, promotion or relegation. A lot depends on their activity in the transfer market but I’d hazard a guess the opening odds for them to go back down will be shorter than their odds to get promoted.

Likelihood is they would finish comfortably mid table. I’d imagine they’d need a LOT more investment to challenge the big teams at the top end of the championship though.

[LA Bluebird]

I tend to agree more power to them, think they would struggle slightly in the bigger pond of the Championship where the owners resources won’t be as impactful but if we end up in the same division I’d be pretty confident they’d finish above us as things stand.

Owners have respected the history of the club, engaged with the community and critically have put solid footballing people in charge, hired an experienced manager with a clear vision and stuck with him. What we wouldn’t give to have the same on our end, and I suspect any hate in this thread is just thinly veiled jealousy.

Or are we claiming we don’t also have a billionaire owner who has put hundreds of millions in and didn’t spend more than most of the rest of the division to get out of the lower leagues in the first place?

[The Lone Gunman]

Was there many people suggesting that?.

On here there was.

As for the bookies, Wrexham were rated fifth in most lists back in August. The Racing Post EFL pundits thought they’d finish eleventh.

[the other bob wilson]

I hope they go up, hopefully without us passing them the other way

If we were in their shoes we’d be over the moon.

Jealousy isn’t a good look. Their real fans have had more than their fair share of shit times.

I agree they’ll find it harder for the next step, ie from the championship, but I hope they get up.

If I were a Wrexham fan, I would probably be making myself unpopular with other supporters because I'd be moaning about the the manager all of the time. I've always thought Parkinson played dull football and now he's added a striker recruitment approach which screams short termism. I think Wrexham will outlast Wycombe and finish second to Birmingham (I also believe they'll be okay in the Championship next season), but, apart from their early season visit to St Andrews, I never enjoy watching them play.

[goats]

When they were in the National League, plenty of people suggested the real challenge would only start when they were in League Two. When they were doing well in League Two, plenty of people suggested the real challenge would only start when they were in League One.

They seem to be reasonably good at coping with real challenges.

Not so sure about that, there are a lot of big clubs in the championship most have been in the PL recently, plenty have very wealthy owners. You can’t say that about any clubs in league 1 really bar Birmingham, who they can’t compete with now.

[The Lone Gunman]

Not so sure about that, there are a lot of big clubs in the championship most have been in the PL recently, plenty have very wealthy owners.

And the division is still garbage.

[goats]

And the division is still garbage.

If you look at wage levels, those paying most tend to be at the top….i wonder what Wrexham’s wages are? Probably on par with the bottom few at best? Are Leeds still around £70 million? It’s also a very small place, probably not much bigger than Barry? I think 13,000 crowds is about the most I’ve ever seen them get in the last 35 years.

[City123]

When they were in the National League, plenty of people suggested the real challenge would only start when they were in League Two. When they were doing well in League Two, plenty of people suggested the real challenge would only start when they were in League One.

They seem to be reasonably good at coping with real challenges.

The jump in finances is pretty substantial, they've gotten where they are signing older players on good money that are still slightly too good for the level, they won't be able to do that in the Championship unless they fancy spending 30k a week on wages for players

[City123]

If you look at wage levels, those paying most tend to be at the top….i wonder what Wrexham’s wages are? Probably on par with the bottom few at best? Are Leeds still around £70 million? It’s also a very small place, probably not much bigger than Barry? I think 13,000 crowds is about the most I’ve ever seen them get in the last 35 years.

The actual town has a smaller population than Barry I think

They have a pretty decent catchment area for potential fans though, only pro club based in north Wales and there's a fair few towns in north east Wales with populations of around 15k-20k for which they would be a natural club to support

[The Lone Gunman]

The jump in finances is pretty substantial, they've gotten where they are signing older players on good money that are still slightly too good for the level...

That’s not really accurate. Wrexham have 11 players who’ve made 20 or more League One starts this season. They are as follows:

Ryan Barnett (25 years old, bought from Solihull Moors in 2023)
Max Cleworth (22 years old, came through Wrexham’s youth system)
George Dobson (27 years old, free transfer from Charlton last summer)
Elliott Lee (30 years old, free transfer from Luton in 2022)
Matty James (33 years old, free transfer from Bristol City last summer)
James McClean (35 years old, bought from Wigan in 2023)
Eoghan O’Connell (29 years old, bought from Charlton in 2023)
Thomas O’Connor (25 years old, free transfer from Burton in 2022)
Arthur Okonkwo (23 years old, free transfer from Arsenal last summer)
Ollie Palmer (33 years old, free transfer from Wimbledon in 2022)
Oliver Rathbone (28 years old, bought from Rotherham last summer)

So, their regular starting line-up does include a few veterans, but none who were signed from higher levels apart from Matty James, a free transfer who had been released by Bristol City.

Of course, they also have a few other veterans in their squad such as Jay Rodriguez (35), who arrived in January, and Steven Fletcher (37), who has only started 2 league games this season but has made 30 sub appearances.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

That’s not really accurate. Wrexham have 11 players who’ve made 20 or more League One starts this season. They are as follows:

Ryan Barnett (25 years old, bought from Solihull Moors in 2023)
Max Cleworth (22 years old, came through Wrexham’s youth system)
George Dobson (27 years old, free transfer from Charlton last summer)
Elliott Lee (30 years old, free transfer from Luton in 2022)
Matty James (33 years old, free transfer from Bristol City last summer)
James McClean (35 years old, bought from Wigan in 2023)
Eoghan O’Connell (29 years old, bought from Charlton in 2023)
Thomas O’Connor (25 years old, free transfer from Burton in 2022)
Arthur Okonkwo (23 years old, free transfer from Arsenal last summer)
Ollie Palmer (33 years old, free transfer from Wimbledon in 2022)
Oliver Rathbone (28 years old, bought from Rotherham last summer)

So, their regular starting line-up does include a few veterans, but none who were signed from higher levels apart from Matty James, a free transfer who had been released by Bristol City.

Of course, they also have a few other veterans in their squad such as Jay Rodriguez (35), who arrived in January, and Steven Fletcher (37), who has only started 2 league games this season but has made 30 sub appearances.

That looks like a typical Warnock youth team.

[Hilts]

That’s not really accurate. Wrexham have 11 players who’ve made 20 or more League One starts this season. They are as follows:

Ryan Barnett (25 years old, bought from Solihull Moors in 2023)
Max Cleworth (22 years old, came through Wrexham’s youth system)
George Dobson (27 years old, free transfer from Charlton last summer)
Elliott Lee (30 years old, free transfer from Luton in 2022)
Matty James (33 years old, free transfer from Bristol City last summer)
James McClean (35 years old, bought from Wigan in 2023)
Eoghan O’Connell (29 years old, bought from Charlton in 2023)
Thomas O’Connor (25 years old, free transfer from Burton in 2022)
Arthur Okonkwo (23 years old, free transfer from Arsenal last summer)
Ollie Palmer (33 years old, free transfer from Wimbledon in 2022)
Oliver Rathbone (28 years old, bought from Rotherham last summer)

So, their regular starting line-up does include a few veterans, but none who were signed from higher levels apart from Matty James, a free transfer who had been released by Bristol City.

Of course, they also have a few other veterans in their squad such as Jay Rodriguez (35), who arrived in January, and Steven Fletcher (37), who has only started 2 league games this season but has made 30 sub appearances.

I'm pretty sure Ollie Palmer was signed for a significant fee by Conference standards.

[The Lone Gunman]

I'm pretty sure Ollie Palmer was signed for a significant fee by Conference standards.

I was taking the original info from Soccerbase, but apparently there was a fee involved - a whopping £300,000.

[Don Corleone]

I was taking the original info from Soccerbase, but apparently there was a fee involved - a whopping £300,000.

I detect a hint of sarcasm in your reply but £300k was a record transfer fee for the National league at that time so it was a substantial fee for that level

[PhyllisStant]

And how did we get to to the Championship??? Did I imagine us spending nearly £2m on Peter Thorne and other crazy sums in league 2.

As others have said. Grow up.

[Don Corleone]

And how did we get to to the Championship??? Did I imagine us spending nearly £2m on Peter Thorne and other crazy sums in league 2.

As others have said. Grow up.

Are you replying to me personally? I wasn’t questioning the sums Wrexham spent, merely pointing out to TLG that £300k was a record transfer fee by National league standards when he seemed to be implying it wasn’t a lot of money.

I personally don’t have any issue with Wrexham, I think the 2 actors have done a remarkable job , they have gone about it in exactly the right way and they have kept faith with Phil Parkinson as manager which has been proved correct. I for one would like to see them in the Championship , hopefully not at our expense though!

If it was personally directed at me over my above comment then I assume the irony in you telling somebody to “grow up” over an internet post will be completely wasted on you

[City123]

That’s not really accurate. Wrexham have 11 players who’ve made 20 or more League One starts this season. They are as follows:

Ryan Barnett (25 years old, bought from Solihull Moors in 2023)
Max Cleworth (22 years old, came through Wrexham’s youth system)
George Dobson (27 years old, free transfer from Charlton last summer)
Elliott Lee (30 years old, free transfer from Luton in 2022)
Matty James (33 years old, free transfer from Bristol City last summer)
James McClean (35 years old, bought from Wigan in 2023)
Eoghan O’Connell (29 years old, bought from Charlton in 2023)
Thomas O’Connor (25 years old, free transfer from Burton in 2022)
Arthur Okonkwo (23 years old, free transfer from Arsenal last summer)
Ollie Palmer (33 years old, free transfer from Wimbledon in 2022)
Oliver Rathbone (28 years old, bought from Rotherham last summer)

So, their regular starting line-up does include a few veterans, but none who were signed from higher levels apart from Matty James, a free transfer who had been released by Bristol City.

Of course, they also have a few other veterans in their squad such as Jay Rodriguez (35), who arrived in January, and Steven Fletcher (37), who has only started 2 league games this season but has made 30 sub appearances.

I guess we may have a different opinion on what constitutes an older player because that looks like a pretty old lot to me!

The squad overall has an average age of 28, 3rd oldest in League 1 and would make them the oldest in the Championship. If you look at this summer's transfers then all but 1 of the fee paying transfers arrived from a club who was at least in the Championship last season, the free transfers both older players with experience at higher levels, this follows the same pattern they've followed going up the leagues. They rarely sign young players with sell on value instead signing players at or just past their peak. It gets a lot harder to do that in the Championship because those players cost a hell of a lot more money

[goats]

That’s not really accurate. Wrexham have 11 players who’ve made 20 or more League One starts this season. They are as follows:

Ryan Barnett (25 years old, bought from Solihull Moors in 2023)
Max Cleworth (22 years old, came through Wrexham’s youth system)
George Dobson (27 years old, free transfer from Charlton last summer)
Elliott Lee (30 years old, free transfer from Luton in 2022)
Matty James (33 years old, free transfer from Bristol City last summer)
James McClean (35 years old, bought from Wigan in 2023)
Eoghan O’Connell (29 years old, bought from Charlton in 2023)
Thomas O’Connor (25 years old, free transfer from Burton in 2022)
Arthur Okonkwo (23 years old, free transfer from Arsenal last summer)
Ollie Palmer (33 years old, free transfer from Wimbledon in 2022)
Oliver Rathbone (28 years old, bought from Rotherham last summer)

So, their regular starting line-up does include a few veterans, but none who were signed from higher levels apart from Matty James, a free transfer who had been released by Bristol City.

Of course, they also have a few other veterans in their squad such as Jay Rodriguez (35), who arrived in January, and Steven Fletcher (37), who has only started 2 league games this season but has made 30 sub appearances.

Good research, look pretty old to me….

[North Cardiff Blue]

I tend to agree more power to them, think they would struggle slightly in the bigger pond of the Championship where the owners resources won’t be as impactful but if we end up in the same division I’d be pretty confident they’d finish above us as things stand.

Owners have respected the history of the club, engaged with the community and critically have put solid footballing people in charge, hired an experienced manager with a clear vision and stuck with him. What we wouldn’t give to have the same on our end, and I suspect any hate in this thread is just thinly veiled jealousy.

Or are we claiming we don’t also have a billionaire owner who has put hundreds of millions in and didn’t spend more than most of the rest of the division to get out of the lower leagues in the first place?

Our story has damaged a lot of fans, most of the ingredients were there, a billionaire owner investing millions, a decent team with a good young Manager, promotion to the Premier League, what could possibly go wrong from there??????

[light up the darkness]

I sincerely hope they are promoted and we play them and JBs in a trebe

[North Cardiff Blue]

I sincerely hope they are promoted and we play them and JBs in a trebe

It would interesting and we would get a feature in the Netflix docu show, it does look like they will do it.

[PhyllisStant]

Are you replying to me personally? I wasn’t questioning the sums Wrexham spent, merely pointing out to TLG that £300k was a record transfer fee by National league standards when he seemed to be implying it wasn’t a lot of money.

I personally don’t have any issue with Wrexham, I think the 2 actors have done a remarkable job , they have gone about it in exactly the right way and they have kept faith with Phil Parkinson as manager which has been proved correct. I for one would like to see them in the Championship , hopefully not at our expense though!

If it was personally directed at me over my above comment then I assume the irony in you telling somebody to “grow up” over an internet post will be completely wasted on you

not sure if you know how message boards work but just because my post was after yours doesn't mean I was replying to it. If I was I'd have quoted it - like this.

Calm down dear.

[Don Corleone]

not sure if you know how message boards work but just because my post was after yours doesn't mean I was replying to it. If I was I'd have quoted it - like this.

Calm down dear.

That’s why I replied by asking the question because in your original post you didn’t quote any message like you just indicated above you would do , so I had no idea who you were replying to! Rather ironic then that you say I don’t know how messageboards work

Also there’s really no need to end your posts with a sarcastic or provocative line every time

[North Cardiff Blue]

Not doing bad

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...enney-31286635

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/25...-loans-repaid/

https://www.thewrexhaminsider.com/ne...d-to-disagree/

[PontBlue]

How does that compare to other clubs in the division they were in for the accounting period and clubs in our division for the same period?