Three things Phil Parkinson must try to improve Wrexham’s poor away form

Jack Marriott is expected to return for the Birmingham clash in a bid to add some creativity to a frontline that has looked rather blunt in recent months.

Wrexham will be relieved that the promotion six-pointer is being held at the Racecourse Ground, the Red Dragons have won just three away from home all season and is a statistic that needs to improve should they harbour any hopes of reaching the Championship.

READ MORE: Sam Dalby already sent a clear message to Phil Parkinson over Wrexham minutes before social media hint

Wrexham’s away record is poor

Wrexham have struggled away from home this season and have picked up just 13 points on the road compared to 38 at home. Phil Parkinson’s men boast the best home record in the division but sit in the lower reaches of the table based on their wretched away.

13 points from 12 games is simply not good enough for a side that wants to be promoted and something needs to change. Here are three things that the manager could consider when trying to improve their away record.

Wrexham should surrender possession and play on the counter attack

Wrexham like to dominate the ball and dictate the pace of play. Wingbacks Ryan Barnett and James McClean have been a big part of Wrexham’s success this season with their dynamism in wide areas within the 3-5-2 formation.

Barnett currently tops the League One assist chart and often likes to push forward however, with McClean doing the same on the other side, this can often leave Wrexham exposed defensively.

Wrexham have picked up three away wins all season and in two of those against Peterborough and Rotherham, the Red Dragons had less than 40% of the ball.

Parkinson’s side surrendered possession and made themselves hard to break down before unleashing on the counter attack. It worked with both victories coming alongside clean sheets.

Wrexham should ask Barnett and McClean to be defensive-minded first to get a foothold in the game before springing a surprise counter on their opponents, it is a formula that has worked so far this campaign.

Elliot Lee needs to be given freedom to roam

Elliot Lee has been a consistent figure in Parkinson’s plans this season and has played in a variety of roles. Lee has operated as a striker, a number ten and even moved further back into a more conventional central midfield role.

Parkinson received criticism for playing Lee as a striker against Shrewsbury and it is clear the Durham-born man prefers a deeper role.

Lee has scored six goals and made three assists in his 26 appearances this season but it is no secret that he is better deployed in a deeper role to give him more creative freedom.

Lee was used as the number ten in all three of Wrexham’s away victories this season and this formula should be reverted back to if Parkinson wants to pick up more points on the road.

Wrexham need to produce more clean sheets

It is easy to say that Wrexham need to score more goals and concede less goals to improve their away record but there is a marked difference between their home and away.

The manner and timing of goals conceded is also something for Parkinson to consider, his side are having to chase games far too often and can often lead to the players becoming desperate in their thinking.

It is clear that when Wrexham can pinch the first goal in a game and keep their opponents out, they then relax and play the sort of football that fans know they are capable of producing.

Parkinson will know that there is not a clear remedy to fix his side’s away day blues however, he will be more than aware that no team has been promoted with an away record as poor as Wrexham’s right now.

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