Watford’s recent appointment of boss Edward Still will remind Wrexham of the heartbreaking 1-2 defeat suffered against Will Still on the inaugural matchday.
Recently, Wrexham celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Hollywood takeover with significant ceremonial splendour. While it was an immensely special day for the Reds to track back their roots, this date arrived at a very critical juncture this season.
Unlike the last few years, Wrexham’s league status stands at a crossroads this time. Standing on the edge of the playoff zone after a Millwall defeat, the anniversary date can be crucial to restore the winning mentality for the promotion charge.
However, the recent 9th February coincided with another event that could play a role in deciding Wrexham’s promotion fate. It’s the appointment of Watford’s new boss, Edward Still.
Having seen multiple sackings this Championship season, a managerial update need not fancy Phil Parkinson or Wrexham. The fact that makes Edward Still’s case worth noting is his relationship to former Southampton boss Will Still.
Wrexham’s heartbreaking defeat to Southampton
While Will Still was long removed by Southampton, his side’s comeback Vs Wrexham remains unforgettable for the Reds. Ed Still’s younger brother Will, faced off against Wrexham in matchday 1 and managed Saints to a heroic 2-1 win in stoppage time.
Notably, Wrexham were sky high on confidence to kick start a Championship campaign in decades. Up against a recently relegated Southampton side, the Reds possessed chances to cause an upset.
Thanks to a successful spot-kick conversion by Josh Windass, Wrexham were cruising towards a victory until Southampton fought their way back into the game. With a 90th-minute free-kick goal and a stoppage-time winner, the Saints crushed Wrexham fans’ hopes of a win.
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This disheartening end to a dramatic 1st matchday encounter hit Wrexham’s morale. After a defeat with multiple talking points, Phil Parkinson and Wrexham went winless for a couple of games.
It was eventually in the 4th matchday that the Reds registered their first “W” of the season in a 2-0 victory against Millwall.
In a full circle moment after the recent 0-2 defeat to Millwall, Wrexham fans will get the nightmare flashbacks upon hearing Ed Still’s appointment. And all for the unexpected turnaround Ed’s brother Will Still pulled off against Wrexham on the inaugural matchday.
What to expect from Wrexham Vs Edward Still?
The rematch against Watford is important to Wrexham for multiple reasons. Apart from a battle against another Still, the clash holds the authority to influence Wrexham’s playoff chances.
Clearly, Wrexham isn’t unbeatable, and a fair share of their 6th position credit goes to the declining form of their promotion rivals. If not for Watford’s recent slip of being winless from 6 games, the Hornets could’ve been ahead of the Reds.
Even now, Watford is merely 2 points behind Wrexham in the Championship table. With both sides contending for a playoff zone finish, the tie against Watford will be a 6-pointer for Wrexham.
Here’s when a peek into Edward Still’s managerial trackrecord becomes crucial. Statistically, Ed Still’s past tally hasn’t been the best so far. The manager’s most notable spells include his assistant role to brother Will at Lens and another assistant role at Anderlecht.
While Edward has performed the head coach duties previously, the Watford job will be the biggest test in his career so far. Add to this fact the performance pressure of Watford’s history, as he arrives as the 23rd manager since the Pozzo family took over the Hornets club in 2012.
Touted to outperform ex-boss Javi Gracia’s results, a challenging spell will welcome Ed Still at Watford. His next results against promotion rivals Preston, Derby County, Ipswich, and Bristol City can have a say in deciding the early March clash against Wrexham.
When Wrexham and Edward Still faceoff, the Reds will hope to seek revenge of Will Still against his older brother. It remains to be seen if the club achieves a win in the promotion 6-pointer.
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