Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson questions attitude of players after Sheffield United defeat
Sheffield United beat Wrexham 1-0 at Bramall Lane in the Championship on Friday night.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson questioned his players’ attitude and desire following their 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Friday night.
Ben Brereton Díaz’s first-half winner sealed a fully deserved victory for the Blades, who were the better side throughout the contest. Chris Wilder’s side, at the time of writing, are now just one point shy of the play-off places.
United carried the greater threat throughout the evening, restricting Wrexham to just one shot on target – a looping header from Sam Smith in second-half stoppage time.
As the statistics highlight, Wrexham barely laid a glove on the Blades’ rearguard, meaning it was a relatively comfortable evening for goalkeeper Michael Cooper, who has now kept five clean sheets in the Championship this season.
In recent years, United and Wrexham have served up some thrilling encounters, with the six previous meetings before Friday night producing 27 goals. However, the Red Dragons failed to impose themselves as they had in previous meetings against the Blades, prompting Parkinson to question his players’ attitude and desire.
As quoted by The Athletic, the Wrexham boss said: “I just said to the lads in there, ‘We played Sheffield United in the National League, went toe to toe with a top Championship team and came here 10 days later with everyone thinking our chance had gone and we’d roll over’.
“But we went toe to toe again, putting in an unbelievable performance with a lot lesser team (than tonight). We did a lot better against a better side, and we have to look at the reasons for that.”
Despite spending north of £20 million during the summer, Wrexham have made an identical start to last season, collecting 14 points from their opening 13 matches. They eventually turned their campaign around last term, finishing just outside the play-off places.
“We were similar at this stage last year,” Parkinson added. “We were patchy and we worked with the group on an understanding as to what it means to play for this club and how much teams want to beat us. How much all the opposition supporters want to beat us. And what it takes to wear that shirt.
“We got it and nearly got in the play-offs. We have to get that level with this group.”