Wrexham

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Rotherham United manager Steve Evans has described Wrexham as League One’s answer to the Harlem Globetrotters.

Rotherham are 15th in the third tier having won only one of their first five league games of the season, but are viewed by some as possible promotion contenders following their relegation from the Championship last season.

Evans was asked how Rotherham measure up against some the other sides who are viewed as promotion candidates, and compared Wrexham to the Globetrotters, the American exhibition basketball team.

"We've not played the Real Madrid of League One - we play them a week on Saturday [when Birmingham visit the New York Stadium],” he said.

“And we've not played the Harlem Globetrotters, who will turn up when Parky (Phil Parkinson) brings Wrexham here with the stars that come with the ownership there.”

Evans said Rotherham are “getting there as a team” after losing some influential players over the summer, among them midfielder Ollie Rathbone, who joined Wrexham last month.

"The standards at the top of this league are going to be quite awesome at the end of the season," Evans added on Rotherham’s website.

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Waynne Phillips believes Paul Mullin has put himself in contention for a first league start of the season at Birmingham City thanks to his EFL Trophy goal against Salford City.

Mullin scored his first goal of 2024-25 as Wrexham beat Salford 2-1 at the Stok Racecourse on Tuesday, curling the ball home in spectacular fashion from outside the area.

The goal came in the striker’s first start of the campaign after a recovering from surgery on a back injury.

Mullin has made three substitute appearances in League One so far this term, but former Wrexham midfielder Phillips is keen to see the 29-year-old get more game-time in the third tier.

“Paul Mullin is special,” he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“I am looking forward to seeing him at League One level.

“The two strikers at the moment in the first team, Jack Marriott and Ollie Palmer, have done ever so well.

“Paul Mullin may have to wait a bit longer before he gets a starting place, but he has put himself right in the frame with that goal.”

The Salford victory was a fourth in succession for Wrexham, who are top of the table having taken 13 points from their first five league games this season.

They face fourth-placed Birmingham, the pre-season title favourites, in a mouthwatering game on Monday night.

The Salford victory came despite boss Phil Parkinson making 11 changes to the side which beat Shrewsbury Town 3-0 last weekend.

“He gave players much-needed game-time – Paul Mullin being one of them,” Phillips added.

“I think it was important that he got 70 minutes under his belt to put himself in the frame for what is a massive game at Birmingham next week.”

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Paul Mullin marked his first start of the season with his first goal of the campaign as Wrexham saw off visitors Salford City in their first match of the EFL Trophy group stage.

The striker, Wrexham's top scorer last season, has been eased back into action so far after undergoing minor spinal surgery at the end of last season - coming off the bench in three League One encounters.

Mullin took just 18 minutes to leave his mark, cutting inside onto his left foot before curling an amazing strike from just outside the box into the far top corner.

The 29-year-old added a cheeky celebration, briefly donning his 'Welshpool' mask from the sidelines - part of his costume in a cameo appearance in the film 'Deadpool & Wolverine' starring Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Matty Lund almost equalised for the visitors before half-time but was denied by Callum Burton's great save.

Salford were back on level terms early in the second half after Conor McAleny was set up by Hakeeb Adelakun.

Mullin nearly restored the lead when his shot rebounded off the crossbar, before being replaced by Ollie Palmer up front for the hosts.

Wrexham won it with seven minutes of normal time left as Will Boyle soared highest at the back post to head in Seb Revan's delivery.

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Ollie Rathbone spoke of the “really special” atmosphere at the Stok Racecourse after making his first league start for Wrexham.

A crowd of 13,341 – Wrexham’s highest home attendance since 1980 – saw Phil Parkinson’s side go top of the League One table with a 3-0 win over Shrewsbury Town.

“I’ve played quite a lot of games at this level now and atmospheres like that don’t come along very often,” Rathbone said.

“It’s why I came to the club – it’s a special time to be a part of it.”

Wrexham, playing in English football’s third tier for the first time in 19 years following promotion last season, are unbeaten after five games.

But midfielder Rathbone, a summer signing from Rotherham United, is not surprised by Wrexham’s start to the season.

“It can’t be underestimated how big a step up this is but with the squad of players I don’t think you can expect much less to be fair.

“After five league games you have a taste of what the league offers in a lot of different ways and I think we’ve handled everything really well.

“We won’t get ahead of ourselves but we’ve played Bolton away, Peterborough away – two teams that have been in the play-offs the last couple of years – and I think we performed really well against both of them.

“In the home games we’ve done just our job.”

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Wrexham’s Tom O’Connor has happy memories of the last time his team faced Shrewsbury Town.

The sides meet in a League One cross border derby at the Stok Racecourse on Saturday.

O’Connor scored the only goal of the game as Wrexham won in an FA Cup Third Round tie at Shrewsbury in January.

“It was a little bit of an upset going there when we they were in League One and we were in League Two,” O’Connor told BBC Sport Wales.

“It was nice to knock them out – we know what it means to the fans.”

Wrexham are unbeaten in their opening four league games and lie second in the table, and O’Connor said: “It’s been a good start.

“Not many people knew how we would get on in this league so we’re very pleased to have started like that.

“But it is only four games in so hopefully we can keep it going.

“Three clean sheets out of four – we’ve had to work hard at times but it’s a team effort and the lads in front of us put in a shift.”

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It may be early in the season, but Wrexham are already showing signs that they may be capable of doing something special once more in 2024-25.

After successive promotions for Phil Parkinson’s team, some observers suggested this campaign may be about acclimatising to life in League One.

Yet a return of 10 points from Wrexham’s first four league games – in their first season at this level for 19 years – is almost as encouraging as it gets.

We asked you what you have made of Wrexham’s early-season form – and who you think has been the star performer.

Here are some of your responses.

Gareth: They've doing very well since Phil Parkinson took the reins and [with] the quality players he's brought in. Phil Parkinson for me is the unsung hero of Wrexham AFC's success.

Matt: [George] Dobson in midfield has made a massive difference! His work-rate, leadership and combative style is driving the team this season and proving to be our best signing and standout performer so far.

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Tim: The summer additions to the squad were well planned. Recruitment of quality players in every position has created competition for places, and Phil Parkinson has achieved that whilst still maintaining a supportive environment. There is motivation to reward the fans and this positive cocktail of elements has got the whole club performing brilliantly.

John: No doubt, Wrexham can challenge for promotion again this year, but I think the quality and depth of the league will prove too much unfortunately. It's a surprise to see both promoted teams at the top of the league so soon, but alas, it's very likely that the honeymoon will end, probably Christmas time, for both teams. Wrexham will finish mid-table.

Will: [Max] Cleworth definitely the star for me, so consistent, we never have any issues defensively on his side of the pitch. Plus to top it all off he’s scoring goals.

Martyn: Man of the season so far is Phil Parkinson. Last season I felt he didn’t always know his best starting XI but we’ve bought intelligently and Phil seems to be managing the competition for a starting place well. We will have a very good XI out for 90-plus minutes in every game. Top stat so far is three clean sheets. Let’s get more possession.

Timothy: Cleworth just gets better and better - how much is he worth? Dobson is like a League One Roy Keane and [Jack] Marriott is making it very difficult for Parkinson to drop him.

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Alun: Dobson is the missing link - works so hard and is everywhere allowing the defence to be solid and the others who have quality to go forward with purpose. The good thing so far is that most of the new signings haven't had much of a chance yet and most of them are proven League One/Championship players. The subs each game are so strong as well!

Catherine: What a start to the season! But let’s not get carried away and start picking players out as this is a whole team effort. Max Cleworth is a young lad who is starting to show us his abilities, Elliot Lee is a little magician on the ball and [Paul] Mullin will start scoring soon. The future looks bright but a long way to go yet.

Barry: I watch Wrexham on iFollow from my home in Spain and love the way the club have improved over the past three years under the helm of Ryan [Reynolds] and Rob [McElhenney]. Promotion this year, why not? The defence is now very solid with the new additions and the goals are flowing. Well done Phil Parkinson. Come on you Reds.

Karl: The team is taking each game as it comes. This sensible approach is giving us momentum which is crucial early in the season, rather than playing catch-up. I feel we can compete with the squad we have. Maybe another striker coming in would be the icing on the cake.

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Former midfielder Waynne Phillips says Wrexham are capable of competing with any team in League One this season.

Phillips is now a pundit for BBC Radio Cymru and was at Peterborough United last Saturday to see Phil Parkinson’s men win 2-0 to go second in the table.

“This team is certainly more than capable of being a threat to all other teams in this division this season,” Phillips told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

“It’s not me getting carried away after four games this season – I was saying these things before a ball was kicked.

“The shape of the team was terrific and when they had to deal with pressure they did that fantastically well.”

Wrexham are loving life in League One right now.

Four games in, unbeaten since their return to the third tier and currently second in the very early standings.

Safe to say manager Phil Parkinson will be as happy as all the Dragons fans at how August has gone.

With the chance to go top when rivals Shrewsbury visit the Racecourse at the weekend, it's little wonder former Kop idol Waynne Phillips is sticking with his pre-season prediction of challenging for yet another promotion.

But in the games so far, which player has impressed you the most?

Jack Marriott's goal at former club Peterborough at the weekend made it two for the season and suggested he could have a bigger impact this year.

Max Cleworth is also among the goals, as well as being part of a backline that has kept three clean sheets in a row.

Is it one of the old favourites that has caught your eye, with Ryan Barnett, Ollie Palmer or Elliott Lee stepping up again?

Or what about one of the new signings, such as impressive midfielder George Dobson who looks to have really added something to the middle of the park for Parkinson's side?

Wrexham fans, we want to hear who you think deserves some early season praise by sending your views here, external.