‘What I saw in Wrexham loss worried me – Ryan Reynolds has to dig into his pockets again’

Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac saw Wrexham’s defensive woes for themselves as they attended their club’s first Championship home game against West Brom and must now take action

Wrexham’s defensive weaknesses were brutally exposed as they fell to a 3-2 defeat at home to West Brom in the Championship on Saturday. From my vantage point in the Macron Stand, I could see the frustration etched on the players’ faces after the final whistle, and it was hard not to wonder what the club’s famous co-owners thought of the performance.

Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac had flown in for Wrexham’s first home game in the second tier for 43 years, and the pair looked delighted as they took a pre-match stroll around the pitch. After securing an impressive hat-trick of promotions, manager Phil Parkinson has received significant backing from the actor duo during the summer transfer window.

Big-name signings like Welsh international trio Danny Ward, Kieffer Moore and Nathan Broadhead have been brought in to help Wrexham hold their own in the Championship. Broadhead became the latest player to smash the club’s transfer record when his move from Ipswich Town was confirmed on Thursday in a deal believed to be worth up to £10million.

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The chatter in the city centre pubs before the match was dominated by talk of the quality the 27-year-old forward would add to the team. Such was the excitement surrounding the transfer that even Deadpool star Reynolds confessed to ITV that he felt a touch of nerves before meeting him.

Despite Wrexham’s late capitulation in their opening match away at Southampton last week, the co-owners must have been eager to see what their investment had yielded. The Red Dragons kicked off with a promising start, looking every bit the team capable of challenging an established Championship side.

The early performances of Moore, who joined from Sheffield United for £2m, have been a highlight for Wrexham, his physicality fitting perfectly into Parkinson’s game plan. He was on top form in the initial stages against West Brom, with ex-Sheffield Wednesday player Josh Windass proving to be the perfect strike partner.

However, Wrexham’s momentum took a hit in the 20th minute when Isaac Price put the visitors ahead after Tom Fellows outpaced James McClean on the wing. Their woes were compounded 10 minutes later when Windass had to be substituted due to a hamstring injury.

This gave Reynolds and Mac the opportunity to see Broadhead in action as he came on as a replacement. Wrexham managed to level the score just before half-time thanks to Lewis O’Brien netting his first goal for the club after the Baggies failed to clear their lines.

Broadhead nearly marked his debut with a goal shortly after the restart but his shot went wide. Unfortunately, that was the high point for Parkinson’s team as defensive errors spoiled the day.

There were audible groans around me when former Leicester goalkeeper Ward was beaten at his near post by Jed Wallace, who put West Brom back in the lead in the 74th minute. Ward’s selection for the league opener against Southampton raised eyebrows amongst many fans who anticipated Wrexham’s established number one, Arthur Okonkwo, would get the nod between the sticks.

The former Arsenal prospect enjoyed a stellar campaign last term, recording 19 league clean sheets as his side secured promotion from League One. Ward, by contrast, arrived with a less impressive reputation following his stint at Leicester.

Wrexham were caught out once more seven minutes later through questionable defending, as Price notched his brace by nodding home Mikey Johnston’s delivery. Delighted chants of “F*** Hollywood” rang out from the visiting contingent as they relished the occasion.

Substitute Sam Smith managed a late consolation strike, but Wrexham remain pointless following their opening two fixtures. Despite the owners’ investment, one department where their squad is lacking is at the defensive core.

Summer acquisition Conor Coady stands as the sole exception, boasting top-flight credentials. However, neither of Saturday’s other two starting centre-halves, Lewis Brunt and Max Cleworth, had featured in the Championship prior to this campaign.

Naturally, it remains early doors for Wrexham and with nine fresh faces, bedding in was always going to require patience. Glimpses of their ability have emerged, especially going forward, suggesting there’s no cause to hit the alarm bells just yet.

Parkinson has earned considerable goodwill and replacing Ward with Okonkwo might address one problem. However, the main concern lies in defence, and I can only hope that Reynolds and Mac returned home with a clear understanding of the need to bolster that backline.

The defeat to West Brom was a stark wake-up call that mistakes will be severely penalised in the Championship. This is undoubtedly the most significant leap Wrexham have taken in their rapid ascent.

Despite their substantial investment so far, the Hollywood pair will still need to dig deeper into their pockets, particularly if they wish to realise their long-term dream of reaching the Premier League.

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