Fifteen years is a long time to be away. So, when Wrexham — spoiler alert ahead of the documentary’s return this week — won promotion last April, there was debate about how the club might acclimatise at the new, higher level.
A little under six weeks on and things are going fine, now. Phil Parkinson’s side sit seventh in the table with 12 points from seven games, a position the 55-year-old admitted after Saturday’s win over Doncaster Rovers he would have taken at this stage following the upheaval of the summer.
Losing Paul Mullin to injury on the U.S. tour was the major blow. Not just in terms of missing his goals but also the psychological effect of being without your talisman.
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The huge roar and subsequent on-field lift following the 28-year-old’s return from the bench in the 2-1 win over Doncaster at the weekend told us that.
But it wasn’t just Mullin’s absence that Wrexham had to battle with in the opening couple of weeks. The pre-season trip to America was a success on so many levels, not least in engaging with a growing support base on that side of the Atlantic.
In terms of preparing for a 46-game season, however, the tour was far from ideal. Switching from the East Coast to the West Coast and back again meant a lot of travelling during the fortnight away.
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Throw in the thunderstorm that caused a two-hour delay during the final match in Philadelphia — meaning Parkinson had to abandon his plan to give the first-choice XI as close to 90 minutes as possible — and it was perhaps no wonder the players looked slightly under-cooked come the start of the campaign.
That’s not to excuse the abysmal defending as MK Dons and Swindon Town both netted five times at the Racecourse Ground. But this disjointed preparation, together with Mullin’s absence, surely contributed to a slow start that back-to-back wins over Tranmere Rovers and Doncaster have since turned into a promising one.
As the second series of Welcome to Wrexham prepares to air, Parkinson’s side are unbeaten since the chastening opening day 5-3 loss to the Dons. They boast the joint-second-highest tally of goals (17) in the division behind Swindon but have also conceded more times (15) than all but second-bottom Sutton United.
These early struggles to keep out the opposition help explain Ben Foster’s shock retirement just four games into the season. Three clean sheets inside eight days, including the EFL Trophy win over Newcastle United Under-21s, suggests those early defensive problems may have started to ease.
Also fuelling optimism is the occupation of a play-off place — one to three are automatically promoted; four to seven go into the play-offs and the team that wins the mini-knockout competition is promoted — after playing a host of sides who look capable of lasting the pace in the promotion race. Certainly, it will be a major surprise if Swindon, MK Dons, Barrow and Walsall aren’t in the mix for at least a top-seven finish come May.
Elliot Lee, signed during the summer of 2022, has been the standout performer. With six goals from seven league appearances — including Saturday’s 88th-minute winner — he has stepped into the huge void left behind by Mullin. Only two players, both strikers, have found the net more times in the fourth tier than the former Luton Town midfielder this season.
Will Boyle apart, the new signings have only been seen in glimpses. But there’s been sufficient promise to suggest left wing-back James McClean and central midfielder George Evans will be very useful additions in sometimes problem positions. Boyle, with six league starts, already looks like a wise capture.
Steven Fletcher only arrived on Friday after the deadline-day bid to land Harrogate Town striker Luke Armstrong failed due to the late filing of paperwork.
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Fletcher, 36, is the first to admit that he has some catching up to do on the fitness front after leaving Dundee United in May. “You can only do so much on your own,” says the Scot, who was put through his paces in the summer by former international team-mate Charlie Mulgrew. “It will be good to get in this week with the boys.”
But, again, the fleeting glimpse supporters have had — Fletcher was brought on eight minutes from time against Doncaster — gives cause for optimism. Certainly, his smart turn and first-time shot that flashed just wide at 1-1 was the sort of quality not usually seen at this level.
Like Mullin, Fletcher will have to be handled carefully when building up his minutes. But, come the start of next month, don’t be surprised if the pair are leading the attack with their respective styles dovetailing nicely.
Injury and the disruption of many late signings make the third full season of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ stewardship something of a work in progress.
When everyone is available, however, the strongest XI is likely to be very different from the team that kicked off the season at home to MK Dons.
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(Top photo: Elliot Lee; by Jess Hornby via Getty Images)