Troy Deeney leaves Wrexham fans annoyed by dropping a £10m claim hinting at summer signing Callum Doyle out of nowhere.
Feels like Championship pundit Troy Deeney has begun broadcasting CBS evenings on Wrexham, rather than the other way around. Because, suddenly & surprisingly, he has become one of Wrexham’s very own.
Chances are, you might find Deeney reviewing Wrexham’s matchday performance even before the final whistle is heard. But jokes aside, it remains unknown whether he’s a supporter or a critic.
The last time Wrexham fans met Deeney’s words was on their Boxing Day win over Sheffield United. There, the Watford legend rightly called out the club’s defence, or as the fans acknowledged, despite an exceptional 3 points in their bag.
Honestly, this comment felt very genuine for a backline that averaged 2+ goals in their recent outings. In fact, going into the Preston evening, the majority of Dragon supporters would accept being stressed on facing one of the stingiest sides known this season with their out-of-form back three.
Seldom would they know that a Phil Parkinson masterclass awaits them, who has reformed his defence within the short matchday gap.
The result? A dominating 2-1 win over Preston, where both the club’s attack and defence shone. Don’t let opposition boss Heckingbottom’s words buy you into believing it was a normal win, because it was an exceptional one on every standard.
With the spotlight duo Okonkwo-Hyam putting on an improved display, Cleworth brilliant as usual and an outstanding Doyle show, the club’s defence stood nearly perfect, except for that of Alfie Divine’s goal. Again, that should’ve been avoided too, but you don’t make a fuss of an out-of-the-box screamer into the bottom corner.
Fairly, Wrexham fans would’ve expected Deeney to improve on his previous comment, with a special pat on Callum Doyle’s back. And lo! The pundit is instead scrutinising Doyle, who barely deserves it.
While Deeney was respectful enough not to name-shame Doyle after an excellent display, the ex-striker’s aim was surely pointed at him. Speaking on CBS Sports, Deeney referenced Wrexham’s £7.5m spending on Doyle, saying: “They’ve spent a lot of money on players that, I think, are AVERAGE for the league. They don’t enhance them. You’re talking £10m for centre backs… they are not CBs like John Stones, ball-playing CBs that can go up to the next level.”
That makes it the second instance of the day where Wrexham have been robbed of credit. But while the Heckingbottom one felt a bit frustrating, this Troy Deeney claim would make fans laugh out loud.
Deeney’s John Stones claim lacks apparent context
For anyone who didn’t miss an action of Wrexham’s Preston game, it’s easy to appreciate Doyle’s effort for what he did. Be it trying to break through the opposition lines with his passes or taking shots for a goal, the 22-year-old did a solid job on his part.
Agreed, he wasn’t as effective as John Stones if put in a Wrexham shirt, but that’s why the latter is a PL star while Doyle is still an up-and-rising name building from the Championship.
As for the price tag, there’s no denying that Stones moved from the Championship to the PL at a much lower price(around £3m) than what Wrexham paid for Doyle. But isn’t that what you call an inflated market? Given that Doyle’s transfer took place more than a decade after Stones’ Everton move.
That’s still not accounting for which were the parent clubs involved in these cases. Notably, Doyle had been a Man City prodigy before a switch to Wrexham, while Stones leapt out of Barnsley to join the Premier League.
Again, this discussion isn’t meant to brag for Doyle’s case or demean anyone, let alone Troy Deeney. What it’s for is appreciating the 23-year-old’s growth at Wrexham, as he nears his best self after a tough start here.
