If Wrexham rewriting history this season and completing an incredible run from non-league to the Championship in just three years, it looks like they will have to buck the recent trend of possession being the key to success.
How it happened again in Saturday’s dramatic 2-2 draw at the stadium Charlton Athletic, the main feature of the Welsh club’s return to First League after 19 years of absence they are thriving despite their opponents seeing much more of the ball.
At The Valley, the home team had a 55.4% possession share, according to Opta. But a controversial stoppage-time penalty awarded by substitute referee Alan Dale for handball against Max Cleworth – “Can he (Dale) handle this job? Clearly not because there was only one big decision and he got it wrong,” says Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson – the visitors would still have walked away with a deserved three points.
Just as they had done in previous victories over imaginary opponents such as Peterborough United, Rotherham United And ReadingThe Welsh club spent less than a third of the game in possession and yet were fully prepared to win.
A similar story happened when we achieved a goalless draw at Bolton Wanderers In August, the hosts had a whopping 67.6% of possession.
In an era where so much emphasis is placed on maintaining possession at all costs, Wrexham’s 25 points from 13 games despite only having 42.8% possession this weekend is an outstanding performance, especially as it is so much lower most indicators. their peers seeking promotion.
Retention of possession was key to success in League One last season, with the division’s top six players all having possession rates of 51.4% or above. Peterborough (61.8%) and Bolton Wanderers (58.9%) are in the lead, ahead of the champions. Portsmouth (58.4 percent).
Looking back, in the last decade only four teams have achieved promotion from the third division with a possession percentage below 50 per cent. And three of them were marginal – Hull (49 percent) and Blackpool (49.7 per cent) in 2021 and Rotherham (49.9 per cent) in 2022, leaving only Wycombe in 2019-20 to come anywhere close to Wrexham’s current figure under Gareth Ainsworth’s side carried the ball in just 41.2 percent of its plays.
Wrexham are however happy with their approach as George Dobson – outstanding in his return to the Valley in central midfield – makes that clear.
“There are several ways to win a football game,” he says. Athletic. “Today everyone is obsessed with possession-based football, but we are comfortable with what we do. We have a very good understanding of how we play, we are good at it and we are efficient. Long may this continue.”
Wrexham’s low possession rate can be partly explained by their relatively direct style of play, as shown below.
As was again evident at Valley, Parkinson’s side do get the ball rolling, often looking to win the ball. Elliot Lee on the ball and then distributing the play down the flanks for the full backs, Ryan Barnett And James McClean.
But there is also a tendency to play long, especially among the three central midfielders, in an attempt to turn the opposition over. This trick works when you take the field and play in the opposition’s territory, although at the risk of winning possession cheaply from time to time.
Another factor is Wrexham’s relative lack of pressing play compared to their peers, highlighted by their passes per defensive action (PPDA) metric. The lower the PPDA, the more intense the press – with Birmingham is in the lead again.
Wrexham, by contrast, had the least intense pressing game in League One at the weekend, just behind Northampton Town and Peterborough United.
This indicates that the team is happy to let the opponent play, knowing that they have the ability to hit them hard and fast when the opportunity arises.
Wrexham have certainly proven that this season, with a host of good passers like Dobson and a team so well prepared that they know where a teammate will be without even looking up.
A prime example of Parkinson’s side being in full flight during first-half stoppage time at Charlton was when Tom O’Connor fired a 30-yard pass halfway to the defender’s feet. Paul Mullin. Quick exchange of passes with Ollie Palmer and the ball was on its way to Ryan Barnett on the right where McClean crossed first but he was unable to take advantage.
That fast play explains why only Peterborough United, with 16 counter-attacking shots, had a significantly better record than Wrexham at half-time this season heading into the weekend.
The ability to get away quickly despite not having much speed is a testament to the team’s passing ability. That, coupled with Dobson’s control in midfield and Lee’s ability to find the chance to hit Charlton’s crossbar in the first half, helps explain why Wrexham aren’t as confident as others in maintaining possession.
Another factor is the significant threat posed by set pieces. Lee may not have had a direct assist recorded for his corners against Crawley and Wycombe, leading to Cleworth finding the net due to others touching the goal in the meantime, but his delivery was key.
Likewise O’Connor, with his vicious corner kicks which had already led to Cleworth (Peterborough) goals, Jack Marriott (Birmingham) and Lee (Crawley) before the weekend.
He went even better for the Valley, his 16th-minute free-kick so ferocious that home goalkeeper Will Mannion could only tip the ball over the line.
A reactive team – unlike, say, Birmingham, who try to apply pressure and force the opposition into submission every weekend – are certainly not holding Wrexham back.
Parkinson’s side not only sit third in the table heading into November, but also boast the fourth highest goal tally in the division, with 21 goals and just 10 conceded, the second lowest total in the division.
Perhaps Wrexham can truly challenge those who insist that possession is nine-tenths of the rule in football and only wins the play-offs. Wycombe Ainsworth’s side have improved their time of possession over the last 10 years to around the same low levels as the Welsh side currently have.
(Top photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)