Wrexham

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Phil Parkinson was pleased with Jacques Ekomie's debut showing against Birmimgham City and admits his improved wing-back options will help Wrexham in their quest to remain at peak levels throughout the campaign.

Little more than 24 hours after being announced as a Red Dragons player, Ekomie had his first start in the 2-1 loss to the Blues at the Racecourse Ground.

The 23-year-old's influence on proceedings grew as the contest wore on, and he ended the match having made two interceptions, a tackle and one clearance.

"I think he grew into the game, didn't he?" Parkinson said of Ekomie.

"I had to protect him to a certain degree because of the travelling he's had this week.

"But he did well in terms of, particularly the second half, he got more of the ball in that top end of the pitch.

"I felt a little bit for him tonight because there's a certain belief and a way I want us to play and I didn't think we showed enough of it tonight."

On the right flank, Danny Imray started a fourth game in succession across all competitions since joining the Red Dragons from Crystal Palace in the summer.

He was replaced by Ekomie's fellow new arrival Issa Kabore - who sealed a permanent move to north Wales from Manchester City on Thursday - in the 71st minute against Birmingham.

Given the injuries to Liberato Cacace and George Thomason, Parkinson felt it was essential that Wrexham bolstered their wing-back options.

"Danny did well," the Wrexham manager said.

"It's a very high demanding physical position and we've just got to make sure that we've got the ability to rotate players in that position because it can be tough.

"I want to make sure that when we pick players that they're fresh enough to play at the optimum."

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After two draws to start the Championship season, we asked Wrexham fans which positions they want to see strengthened before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, 1 September (23:00 BST).

Wrexham have signed five players on permanent deals this summer, with left-back Jacques Ekomie and the returning Issa Kabore the latest recruits to join Phil Parkinson's side.

Here is what some fans had to say:

Matt: We were a couple of moments from winning six points...we are competitive, just lacking a touch of quality and crying out for Josh Windass and perhaps a more clinical striker - maybe another number 10?

Gary: Need a quality striker to feed off Kieffer Moore or an attacking midfielder to give him something to head down to. Nathan Broadhead is a quality player but struggles to get up front quickly enough. Lewis O'Brien is a perfect fit in midfield but is not a finisher. Windass is ace, but we can't depend solely on him to get 15 to 20 goals a season.

Naldotwo: We need a forward with a proven track record of scoring 15 to 20 goals a season, and he needs to be fast and unpleasant to play against, someone like Oli McBurnie.

Mike: We need apacey number nine to give the attack a different dimension, and potentially another number 10 as the current replacements from the bench are not having an impact.

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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson expects Birmingham City to make changes to their team for their Championship game tonight (20:00 BST) after the Blues were hammered by Brentford in the EFL Cup in midweek.

Like Wrexham, the Blues have drawn both of their two Championship matches so far this season.

But Chris Davies' men were thrashed 6-1 by the Premier League Bees in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night - with the 41-year-old head coach receiving criticism of late.

Despite the noise surrounding Davies' position as Birmingham boss, Parkinson says the Red Dragons' sole focus will be on building from the positives of their 1-1 league draw with Watford last time out.

"There will be changes I should imagine in the (Birmingham) team, first of all because it was a cup game, secondly because of the result and there will be a reaction," Parkinson said.

"But we just concentrated this week on bringing the players in, concentrating on our lads in terms of what we did well against Watford and where we felt we could do better, and looking to put that into practise because I think the performance wasn't far away from where we need to be.

"But we need to improve and we'll be looking for that."

Parkinson added: "We always enjoy the night games at the Racecourse. The atmosphere is always very special under the lights.

"Birmingham have been a real competitor of ours over the last few years so it's going to be another interesting game."

Last season's top scorer Josh Windass has been unavailable for Wrexham so far this season due to a calf injury.

The 32-year-old is expected to return to the matchday squad against the Blues, although Parkinson will be without a number of other players.

George Thomason is set to be sidelined until around November after sustaining a thigh injury during the draw with Watford.

Fellow midfielder Ben Sheaf and left wing-back Liberato Cacace will both miss the visit of Birmingham through injury.

New signings Issa Kabore and Jacques Ekomie are both expected to be available.

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Wrexham trio Elliot Lee, Harry Ashfield and Aaron James are attracting transfer interest ahead of deadline day.

Midfielders Lee and Ashfield had loan spells with Doncaster Rovers and Cheltenham Town respectively last season while James joined Warrington Town on loan in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.

The trio have all been absent from Wrexham's matchday squads against Middlesbrough, Cardiff City and Watford so far this term.

Ashfield and James could well secure loan exits from the Racecourse Ground, while Lee - who is in the final year of his deal in north Wales - could either be sold or see out his contract on loan elsewhere.

"The great thing is we've got a lot of interest in our players. I've got to make sure the squad is strong though, and that's the key," said manager Phil Parkinson.

"Harry Ash and Aaron James are both attracting interest, but we've got to make sure that those moves are right for us and the player.

"There's a lot of games coming up and we've got to make sure that we feel as a staff the squad is strong."

West Ham United academy product Lee was a prominent figure in each of Wrexham's three promotions from the National League to the Championship.

The 31-year-old was restricted to just three appearances - with each coming in the EFL Cup - for Wrexham last season prior to joining Doncaster on loan in early February.

Parkinson now hopes the experienced midfielder will secure a switch to a club where he will be able to regularly showcase his talents again having fallen down the pecking order at Wrexham.

"Elliot is a player who went on loan last year. There's clubs who were interested in Elliot and in the next few days he's got to decide what he wants to do because he's too good a player not to be playing in my eyes," added Parkinson.

"He's a terrific player, he's been outstanding for us.

"He's a character in terms of being a bubbly personality, but he thrives on playing and we need to find somewhere for him this week which suits what he wants."

Wrexham and Birmingham City have opened the Championship season with two draws apiece.

It is 47 years since Wrexham have managed a league win against Blues.

• Wrexham are winless in all four of their meetings with Birmingham City since their most recent promotion to the Football League (D2 L2), despite going 1-0 ahead in three of those games.

• Birmingham City are unbeaten in each of their past seven league games against Wrexham (W4 D3), since losing their first ever Football League match against the Dragons in October 1979 (0-1 away).

• Wrexham are unbeaten across their past six home league games played on a Friday since their return to the Football League in 2023-24 (W4 D2), though did draw 1-1 with Birmingham during that run in October last year.

• Birmingham are unbeaten across their past seven Championship matches (W3 D4), drawing their past three in succession - not since February 2020 have the Blues drawn four matches in a row.

• Jay Stansfield has recorded three goal contributions across four league games against Wrexham while playing for Birmingham (two goals, one assist) – his joint-most against any side for Blues.

Wrexham are ready to break their transfer record in a move for Lyon midfielder Pavel Sulc. The Czechia international scored 11 goals in the French top flight last season. (Pete O'Rourke), external

Find more of Tuesday's EFL gossip here.

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Wrexham have announced that Elis Wyn Jones has joined their board of directors, while Shaun Harvey (pictured above) has a new role as a non-executive director.

Wrexham say Jones, the former head of global sports advisory and European gaming sector coverage at Goldman Sachs in London, has a "long background in sports and financing".

He is the first new addition to the Wrexham board since Lee Solomon was added earlier this year following the arrival of Apollo Sports Capital as minority investors in the Welsh club last December.

Harvey joined Wrexham as an advisor in 2021 and then became a director in 2023.

The former Football League chief executive has now been made a non-executive director, initially for three years, in a change Wrexham say will allow him to "focus exclusively on board matters going forward".

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New recruit Ben Whiteman says competition is key for Wrexham as the former Preston captain looks to establish himself at the Racecourse.

Whiteman, who joined from the Lilywhites earlier this month, was handed a first Wrexham start in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Watford.

The 30-year-old started in midfield alongside Lewis O'Brien and Ollie Rathbone, with Matty James dropping to the bench having been in Phil Parkinson's starting XI in the opening league game of the season at Cardiff City.

George Dobson is another player pushing for opportunities at the heart of Parkinson's team, while another midfielder, George Thomason, has started the season at left wing-back.

Ben Sheaf is poised to join what is already a fierce competition for game-time in Wrexham's midfield, with the former Coventry captain close to returning from injury.

Whiteman, a Championship regular during his time at Deepdale, says having strength in depth is "key if you want to be a successful side".

"If you look at where the club wants to go, and that's the Premier League, you have to have competition for places," the former Manchester United youngster said.

"If you are out of form you are going to get replaced and I think that's healthy. It has to be there at all successful clubs."

Wrexham were left frustrated by their failure to take all three points against Watford, just as they had been after Rubin Colwill's stoppage-time free-kick denied them victory at Cardiff.

With a home fixture against Birmingham City to come on Friday, Whiteman says Wrexham can take encouragement from their early performances – but accepts the need to more clinical.

"You look at the emotions at full time [against Watford] – we are a bit deflated with a point and they are ecstatic," he said.

"I think that sums up where we want to get to this season.

"I can understand if the fans are a little bit frustrated - we are [in the dressing room]. But the performance… if you look we were the dominant side. It's just that little bit of quality in the final third."

It has been a solid, if slightly frustrating, start to the Championship season by Wrexham.

Denied victory at Cardiff by Rubin Colwill, Phil Parkinson's men had to also settle for a share of the spoils against Watford at the Racecourse.

The Carabao Cup exit at Middlesbrough means that the squad have no midweek fixture before Friday's meeting with Birmingham.

Has Parkinson got his approach right? Would you shake up the starting line-up against the Blues?

What have you made of the three new signings - Anthony Patterson, Danny Imray and Ben Whiteman?

With just over a week until the transfer window closes, what do Wrexham need to add if they are to put themselves in a strong position in 2027?

Give us your views here.

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Ollie Rathbone says his last-gasp equaliser for Wrexham against Watford last season helped end a difficult period in his career.

The attacking midfielder scored within a minute of coming off the bench to salvage a 2-2 draw with the Hornets in December.

It was Rathbone's first league outing of the season after he missed several months of action due to a serious ankle injury sustained during pre-season.

"It was definitely a huge moment in my season, and in my career really," he said of his strike against Watford.

"It's definitely one that I look back on because I could closed the chapter on a difficult period and then I kicked on from there.

"So, I look back on that with fond memories."

Phil Parkinson's side host Watford at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday (15:00 BST) in the club's first home game of the 2026-27 season.

Rathbone will be seeking a third consecutive start having played from the outset against Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup and then at Cardiff City in Wrexham's Championship opener on Monday.

The 29-year-old feels he is well placed to show his best form this season given his struggles last term.

"To see how much further forward I am than last year, it's chalk and cheese really," added Rathbone, who scored eight goals in 30 appearances across all competitions last season.

"I'm delighted because I think it did really hold me back, especially at the start of last year.

"You don't really understand how big and important pre-season is until you miss it.

"When I came back into the fold, I just felt really far behind and it took me a while to catch up.

"But I feel really good and really excited for the season ahead.

"As you're progressing your career and you're getting a bit older, you kind of learn what works for you and what doesn't. I think I've found that balance now."

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Phil Parkinson confirmed Wrexham are targeting more signings in what he says is proving to be a "difficult" summer transfer window.

The Red Dragons have already brought in full-back Danny Imray, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and central midfielder Ben Whiteman to the Racecourse Ground so far this summer.

They have also allowed a number of players to leave either on loan or permanently, including Lewis Brunt, Arthur Okonkwo, Ryan Barnett, Mo Faal and Ryan Hardie.

"It's proving difficult, I have to say. It really is," said the Wrexham manager when asked about the need for new recruits.

"We're trying, but equally, we've got a decent squad.

"I'm not saying we won't succeed, but the clock is ticking and it's just not easy for various situations.

"But like I've been saying all summer, I want to make sure that our focus is on the ones we've got in the building and we've got a good squad.

"We need these players back fit, the ones who are out injured and we'll see where it takes us next week."

Wrexham have just over a week left to further bolster their ranks ahead of the 23:00 BST transfer deadline on Tuesday, 1 September.

Having opted against outlining which positions he wants to strengthen, Parkinson stated the club are aiming for at least two more additions.

"I don't really want to talk about positions. I've said all along that ideally we want a couple more players in the building," added Parkinson.

"We've got very close to a couple of those deals happening and for one or two reasons they've fallen down.

"But that is part of the highs and lows of the transfer window.

"Of course, like everybody, we'd like a few more signings.

"If we get them, great. If we don't, there's opportunities and players who haven't figured in the first couple of games who are eager to show everybody that they can make their mark here."