Wrexham legend Wayne Phillips warns the Reds about Swansea’s exceptional form ahead of the upcoming Welsh Derby celebration.
Following a listless defeat to Hull City, Wrexham now turns its focus to the Welsh derby. While the Reds will be eager to reverse their fortunes after consecutive defeats to Chelsea and Hull, they again meet Swansea at a critical juncture of the campaign.
That’s because Wrexham entered the previous Welsh Derby on the back of a dreadful run. On that occasion, Swansea exploited the Reds’ four-game winless streak by adding another loss to their name.
This time, Wrexham kick-start preparations for the anticipated derby with multiple starters injured. With mainstay names in Kieffer Moore, Matty James, Ben Sheaf, and George Dobson unavailable, the Swans could pose a challenging opponent for Wrexham once again.
This is exactly what Wrexham legend Wayne Phillips envisions for the upcoming Welsh derby. As quoted by BBC Sport Wales, Phillips did his part to warn Wrexham, saying: “It’s not going to be easy, just like the nine games that follow the Swansea match. But what a game it is to look forward to.”
Phillips highlighted Swansea’s form, adding, “Swansea had a great result at Portsmouth, and we saw how strong Portsmouth were here a few weeks ago. But I hope Wrexham will be able to respond after losing weight.”
Wrexham touted for a tough contest against in-form Swansea
A single matchday in the Championship can turn the tables, let alone a couple of weeks. Swansea’s recent jump in the standings proves this perfectly.
While the Swans stood 16th and near the bottom just a few games ago, the club has now emerged as a real playoff contender. This comes after consecutive wins have brought them to the 10th spot in the Championship standings.
Even more than Swansea’s improved league position, the way they’re playing ought to worry Wrexham. After defeating sides like Bristol, Watford, and Stoke, Swansea have had 5 wins and 1 draw in their last 8 games.
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The way Wayne Phillips referenced Swansea’s recent performance against Portsmouth at Fratton Park sums up their form perfectly.
Not to forget, Wrexham themselves faced Pompey just a couple of weeks ago. There, the Reds had first-hand experience of Portsmouth’s fighting spirit after they needed a huge effort from the backline to seal a 2-1 win at the Racecourse in the end.
The same Portsmouth side was recently dominated at home by Swansea. Despite Fratton Park’s hostile atmosphere, the Swans were on top of Pompey right from the start.
Thanks to goals from Galbraith and Josh Key, Swansea took control of the game in the first half. Though Jacob Brown pulled one back later for the hosts, the Swans held on to claim three deserved points in a courageous performance.
A display like this is always morale-boosting, let alone before facing your derby rivals. While Wrexham legend Wayne Phillips backs his former side to secure a home victory, Wrexham need to be aware of Swansea.
Welsh derby is a must-win clash for Wrexham
Wrexham will be hosting Swansea for the first time in decades in a special Welsh Derby celebration. With co-owners Rob and Ryan in commentary, the occasion is particularly meaningful for all Wrexham fans.
Though this naturally places added pressure on Wrexham to win the highly anticipated clash, the matchday is a must-win for them even on purely sporting terms.
That’s because Wrexham’s recent defeat to Hull has opened a six-point gap between them and the Tigers. While leapfrogging Hull is an uphill task from here, the 1-2 loss has other playoff contenders closing in on Wrexham.
Apart from their closest playoff rivals, Southampton, Swansea also sit just five points behind Wrexham and the playoff places. While the Reds have a game in hand, dropping points in the derby would invite significant trouble by allowing other sides to close in.
This consideration must inspire Wrexham to take their revenge on Swansea after they defeated them 2-1 earlier this season.
The last time Wrexham played Swansea, it changed the Reds’ season. With boss Phil Parkinson switching to a 3-4-3 from that point onward, the defeat in South Wales provided key learnings for Wrexham.
However, this time, Wrexham can’t afford any more lessons. They need to show up with complete intensity and win the crucial Welsh Derby. Whether they can do so with such limited squad depth remains to be seen.
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