Double Wrexham AFC transfer boost leaves Phil Parkinson with potential issue | OneFootball

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson may struggle to keep so many talented strikers happy following the additions of Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez

Wrexham's League One campaign has been one of the stories of the season so far in the EFL, due to the fact that the Red Dragons could be set for three back-to-back promotions.

Phil Parkinson's men lifted the 2022/23 National League title, by winning an incredible tally of 111 points in the fifth tier, and they were at it again by 2024, as the North Wales side earned automatic promotion from League Two to the third tier alongside title winners Stockport County, and third place Mansfield Town.

But while winning two consecutive promotions is already a remarkable feat, the Red Dragons are not content with stopping there, and currently sit third in the League One table, just four points adrift of the automatic promotion spots, with 17 games left to play.

As Parkinson's men look to push for a place in next season's Championship, Hollywood duo and club owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have ensured that the Racecourse Ground outfit have had a busy January transfer window.

Two of the most high-profile additions the Red Dragons made during the window which shut on Monday night, were strikers Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez from League One rivals Reading, and Championship outfit Burnley respectively.

Smith and Rodriguez additions could leave Parkinson with potential Wrexham issue

There is no doubting that both Smith and Rodriguez are strong additions, whose attacking efforts could even fire Wrexham all the way to the second tier.

Prior to making his North Wales switch, Smith had notched a thoroughly respectable return of 11 goals and two assists in 25 League One outings for the Royals.

Meanwhile, former England international Rodriguez even has bags of Premier League experience to his name, earned during his stints with former clubs Burnley, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.

In fact, just two seasons ago, the former Clarets man helped fire the Lancashire club towards the Championship title, when he scored 10 goals in 28 second tier appearances.

But the potential negative of two talented arrivals to Wrexham's frontline is that Parkinson could now have too many strikers to choose from, and may struggle to keep them all happy in terms of playing time.

Rodriguez and Smith have joined up with the likes of former Premier League hotshot Steven Fletcher, as well as Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin, who have starred for the club during the much talked about Reynolds and McElhenney era.

Ex-West Brom youngster Mo Faal has already experienced a lack of game time since signing for the Red Dragons last summer, while Jack Marriott has not enjoyed the sort of minutes he was handed during previous stints with Fleetwood Town and Peterborough United, albeit amid injury problems.

If Parkinson is unable to keep so many talented forwards happy, it could have a detrimental effect upon team morale, which would not help the club's ongoing promotion push.

Early FA Cup exit has not helped Parkinson manage Wrexham minutes

One way in which Parkinson could have distributed minutes among players who do not frequently play in League One could have been by handing them playing time in the FA Cup.

However, this is no longer an option available to the 57-year-old, after the Red Dragons lost out to first round opponents Harrogate Town in the first round back in November, so those who are not being allowed minutes in the third tier could grow frustrated.

The Red Dragons boss, therefore, will have a difficult job on his hands keeping so many quality strikers happy while his side battle to win promotion for the third season running.