Wrecsam yn erbyn Sir/Wrexham v County (27/04/2024)

Well, for the last time this season, it's time to ask: what can we say about Wrexham?

Well they have had, by any standard, a good campaign: W 25 D 10 L 10 F 87 A 51. Their H record is the strongest in L2 at W 16 D 3 L 3 F 60(!) A 24, better than County by 1 point. County, of course have the best A record in L2 at W 12 D 6 L 4 F 29 A 18. So something has to give - or it could just peter out into a tame draw with mass substitutions to allow as many players as possible to enjoy the atmosphere. Who knows?

Their Ws are Walsall (H) 4-2, Tranmere (A) 0-1, Donny (H) 2-1, Grimsby (H) 3-0, Crawley (A) 0-1, Salford (H) 3-2, Sutton (H) 2-1, Notts County (A) 0-2, Gillingham (H) 2-0, Morecambe (H) 6-0, Cole U (H) 2-1, Newport (H) 2-0, Swindon (A) 0-1, Barrow (H) 4-1, AFC Wombles 2-0, Sutton (A) 1-2, Notts County (H) 1-0, Accy Stanley (H) 4-0, Morecambe (A) 1-3, Grimsby (A) 1-3, Mansfield (H) 2-0, Cole U (A) 1-2, Crawley (H) 4-1, FGR (H) 6-0 and Crewe (A) 0-3.

Their Ds are AFC Wombles (A) 1-1, Swindon (H) 5-5, Barrow (A) 1-1, Crewe (H) 3-3, Mansfield (A) 0-0, Bratfut (A) 1-1, Harrogate (A) 2-2, MKD (A) 1-1, FGR (A) 1-1 and Harrogate (H) 0-0.

Their Ls are MKD (H) 3-5 on opening day, County (A) 5-0, Accy Stanley (A) 2-0, Walsall (A) 3-1, Newport (A) 1-0, Salford (A) 3-1, Bratfut (H) 1-0 (3 Ls on the trot), Gillingham (A) 1-0, Tranmere (H) 0-1 and Donny (A) 1-0.

They've scored 3+ 14 times this term, being blanked 9 times. They've been pretty good at the back too conceding 3+ just 6 times and keeping 16 clean sheets. You can read those stats as saying that they've beaten up on the weaker sides but they've also beaten Crewe, Mansfield and Barrow, and drawn with Barrow, Crewe, Mansfield and MKD, so they've been handy with the top sides too. Their defence has certainly tightened up in 2024, conceding 3 just the once against Salford, but otherwise only conceding 1 or 2 at most.

Top scorer is, of course, Paul Mullin on 24. He has scored 88 times in 121 apps over 3 seasons, having also scored heavily for (amongst others) Cambridge Utd (32 in 46 apps) and Morecambe (25 in 122 apps), after starting out at the academies of Everton, Liverpool and Huddersfield. So he's got some pedigree. Next up is MF Elliot Lee with 16 this term, and 28 in 90 apps since joining in July 2022. He started out at West Ham before coming into his own with Luton (24 goals in 93 apps) and Charlton (3 in 34 apps). Striker Steven Fletcher has bagged 8 goals this term, but he's scored goals wherever he's been in a lengthy career (he's 37) including spells with Wolves, Sheff Wed and St*ke amongst others.

Ollie Palmer has bagged 5 this season, (37 in 102 apps over 3 seasons) and had prior spells at Crawley, AFC Wombles, Lincoln, Orient and Mansfield. Also on 5 goals (in 34 apps) is Andy Cannon, once of EP of course. A further 13 players have scored at least once this term. So goals from all over the pitch. I'll also mention Jordan Tunnicliffe, 2 goals in 32 apps, brother of James Tunnicliffe, of this parish.

Somewhat surprisingly they only have one player on loan, the GK Arthur Okonkwo, on loan from Arsenal, who has appeared 34 times. That may explain why they have a very high average age of the squad at just over 28 years. They also have an average height of about 6ft which may suggest, to some, that are a route one style hoofball team and that criticism has been aimed at them this season. (Then again it was also thrown at County under Bergara when we had Big Kev up front - it's perhaps as true of them as it was of us).

Gaffer Phil Parkinson said that he was looking for signings in January, picking up Salford defender Luke Bolton (he has now appeared 14 times, 0 goals as yet) and Fleetwood's CF Jack Marriott. He scored 13 times in 53 apps for Fleetwood, 13 times in 59 apps for Peterborough, 10 times in 59 apps for Derby, 27 times in 54 apps for Peterborough in an earlier spell and 22 times in 79 for Luton. He has, as yet, made just the 1 app for Wrexham.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in L2:
On Tue 23rd Slumping Barrow (6th) v Bratfut (10th but could just squeak into the playoffs)
Also on Tue 23rd Cole U (22nd and probably safe) v Red Hot Donny (8th)

Then on Sat 27th
Walsall (9th) v AFC Wombles (12th)
Slumping Barrow (6th) v Mansfield 2nd)
Bratfut (10th) v Newport (17th)
Cole U (22nd) v Slumping Crewe (5th)
Crawley (7th) v Grimsby (21st)
Gillingham (11th) v Red Hot Donny (8th)
MKD (4th) v Hanging By A Thread Sutton

Anyway, What. A. Season. It. Has. Been.
Fun Fact, those 7 County Ls are: Gillingham (H) 0-1 on opening day, Walsall (A) 2-1, Mansfield (H) 3-2 - all 3 in August; Newport (A) 2-1 in Nov, Mansfield (H) on New Years Day, Crewe (H) 1-3 and Tranmere (A) 4-0 both in February. So since the end of August County have W 26 D 9 L 4 F 91 A 39 - I make that 87 points out of 117 - around 75%, which would get around 102 points over a full season

Fingers crossed, we'll be OK in L1. The points target to avoid the drop looks to be around 48 - 50, which seems very gettable although I suspect that a lot of teams will all be beating each other, much like L2 this term.

Anyway: it's been fun, looking forward to next season already.

Cheers Eps, they take an hour or two to put together, but I've always enjoyed marshalling facts and teasing out reasonable interpretations.

I can feel another "Who 'Dey" thread coming on but I'll leave that till June or July.

I do so I can translate for you. Perennial runners up vs Double champions

How many blow up sheep will there be in attendance?

I really couldn't care less what happens in this game, because we're champions and they're not.

They'll need to ask Disney to get some f***ing good writers and a sh*t load of CGI to alter that bit of reality for their mockumentary.

Couldn't...... Care....... F*****g....... Less.

C H A M P I O N S