WitG: Are we Reading too much into it?

Yes, we lost but we've a 10-point plan to put things right and a joke about Ch*ster

ANDY: It hurts but we’ve lost before and we’ll lose again. This week we do a post mortem then quickly have to move things forward, so Tim has provided a fool-proof 10-point plan to help us give the maximum support in Saturday’s key match at Adams Park. We look at the Mullin-Palmer conundrum as well as transatlantic romances and even some jokes.

Our fan of the week comes all the way from Down Under and may be the furthest away one we’ve ever had. He’s from Tasmania, which out-ranks the 2 Beards Aussie fellas in terms of distance.

We’re getting to the key point of the season and you’ll need help making sense of it all. You get Wrexham is the Game for £15 for your first year if you’d like to subscribe. You also get a free back rub from Tim whenever you see him.

The 10-point guide to leaving it all out there

We need YOU against Wycombe - and this is how you can help

TIM: Going to Wycombe on Saturday? Here's the WitG 10 point guide to help the lads put the Chairboys on their arses

1. TAKE OVER WYCOMBE

Be respectful and courteous, but be Wrexham and proud. Let's rock up in the market town and show them that we WERE here before the takeover and that we WERE here when we were shit.

Besides, any place who has given the world Jimmy Carr and James Corden could probably do with a self-deprecating mob of Welsh in their lives.

2. GET (IN)TO THE GROUND EARLY(ISH)

Clap the lads off the bus, clap them onto the pitch for the warm up. Go through the song repertoire. Make them feel like it's a home game. Send them back into the dressing room thinking "we have already won off the pitch. Let's go give them everything we've got".

3. TAKE FLAGS, ERECT FLAGS

Check with the club first... but if your flag is the right dimensions, bring it and find a prominent place to show it off. This isn't just about a show of noise - this is a show of force.

4. WEAR RED

We SHOULD be wearing our home colours, despite them not bringing much luck on the road this season. And if you are not quite a shirter, dig out your finest crimson Stoneys and CP jackets.

5. MAKE ENDLESS NOISE

Goes without saying. Keep doing what we're doing... but with a more relentless nature. No lulls, no dips. Go loud or go home. If you sound like a 50 tab a day person at the end, then you've played your part.

6. POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDES ONLY

Never gonna happen, I know, but telling Rodriguez he's a useless shite during the pre-match handshakes, or crying to Parky outside the player's entrance that Paul Mullin remains the sole solution to our problems, isn't going to help. If you want to be a mood hoover, do it at full time. Do it on the bus. Do it in the pub. Just stop babbling shit for all to hear when the game is in the balance.

Rob gets a big hug last time we played Wycombe

7. DIRECT ALL YOUR FOCUS TO THE PITCH

Youthful exuberance or not, I ended up remonstrating with some of our younger lads at Huddersfield. They spent the ENTIRE game goading and gesturing to the Terriers fans, standing on the seats and blocking the view of many, including mine. If you wanna pay £25 to sing and shout bollocks to another bunch of lads who are dressed EXACTLY like you, then more fool you. They didn't watch more than four minutes of match action in total. A complete waste of energy, not spent on our own players.

8. STAY AND APPLAUD AT THE FINAL WHISTLE

Barring an arse kicking, show the lads your appreciation. It matters. It matters to them. The bond we had with players of the recent past needs to be nurtured again with the current crop.

9. DON’T BE A DEBBIE DOWNER

Maybe ease off the criticism in the days leading up to the game. Almost impossible, I know. But to suggest the players don't go searching their names on social media is just ignorant. They definitely do. So, regardless of the woeful display at Reading, remember who got us into this incomprehensibly lofty position in the first place. Cut them a little slack.

10. SEE POINT 5

Erm....see point 5. Raise the roof. Rinse, repeat.

Quotes of the week: " “Rotherham fans stink of p*ss, came to the Racecourse and got dismissed” - James McClean in his own inimitable style

A right royal kick in the balls wasn’t it?

ANDY: It's either the night it all came home to roost, or the kick up the backside we needed. Reading away was one of the poorest performances of the season – but we're still in third and are we reading (see what I did there) too much into it? Here's five things we learned...

• Eoghan O'Wobble: The reason why Eoghan is not a Championship-level (or better) defender is not down to technique. Sometimes he is peerless and he was against Rotherham. The problem is that one game in 8 he has a wobble and it usually coincides with Wrexham losing. It may be a lack of concentration, pace or both, but when he gets caught out it tends to be a catastrophic goal at the wrong times that magnifies everything. Which leads me on to my next point...

• Wrexham simply ‘exist’: This is what we do for large swathes of games. We’re just ‘there’. We sit deep, play along the middle of the pitch (if we have the ball at all), take it to the wings and try and get a cross in. If a team a) presses us with high energy and/or b) scores, then the plan of taking the sting out the game for 70 minutes and going hard for the last 20 doesn't always work. And 'always' is the key word here. Sometimes it does, and that's why we're third. But you have to accept that you WILL lose games playing this way and we will never dominate opposition.

• Seb par: You can see the potential of Seb Revan. And he can't argue that he hasn't been given a run in the side, but he was woeful against Reading. For a guy who has pace and should be direct, he never wants to take on his man and commit him. He's decent defensively but the only way the 3-5-2 really works is that the wing-backs are offensive and give the opposition something to worry about. Revan currently isn't good enough in an attacking sense. I know it was against 10, but Longman got at his man time and time again when he came on, and it made a massive difference. Parky won't really change a winning team, but now they've lost I can see Revan being replaced for perhaps McClean. But I’m hoping Longman so we can have a go at teams with two attacking wing-backs either side.

  PS. Yes, we lost at Reading, but at least they’re not gloating about it

• A wake up call: Tim mirrors this further down, but let's think of Halifax away, Friday, April 7, 2023 and Doncaster away, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Poor away defeats where we thought all was lost. They turned out to be results that galvanised us. We had statement wins straight away in Notts County at home and Colchester away respectively. They were the impetus we needed to go on unbeaten runs just when it counted. Something Parky can point to in the dressing room and say ‘don’t let this happen again’. The good thing about this Wrexham side is they bounceback, quickly. But…

• But... Yes, there's always a but. I think Parky needs to swallow his pride and take Rodriguez out of the firing line. Perhaps switch Jay and Fletcher around and see if another ex-Burnley man can be the quality impact sub when teams are tiring. Or even bring in Paul Mullin, because at the moment, I think he will bring more to the side than Rodriguez.

Burning issue: Mullin and Palmer ‘in memoriam’

‘Yeah Ollie, this is how much they’re paying him… and he hardly runs’

ANDY: Luke Young, Ben Tozer and James Jones. We knew we couldn't take them all with us on this 'journey'.

But few of us saw Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer being added to this list so soon - especially with the former being the star player and the latter penning a new deal this season.

Yet here we are. Both not just out of the team, but the squad. Both weren't even at the game on Saturday, with Mullin posting a picture from the beach.

So the question is, will they play for us again?

For Palmer it's simple. Players have been brought in ahead of him in Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez. There was probably a place for him in some squads but rumours of him refusing to train seem to have ended that.

I wouldn't see him playing for us again unless there was an almighty injury crisis and I think they'll move him on in the summer. Perhaps the US beckons for a player who loves the limelight.

Mullin is a slightly different one, albeit a little more worrying in some respects. The word here is that he's fit, but his head is not right and he’s fallen out with Parky. There’s talk he’s not even training with the first team at the moment.

He's gone from star striker to perhaps fifth choice. That's tough for someone to take but even though there's word that his attitude isn't what it should be - I don't think his position is untenable.

Mullin still carries star power, has age on his side and potentially could be useful whatever league we're in next season - if he gets a good pre-season.

But this season is probably a write off for him. Even though I believe he has more ability to influence a game than Jack Marriott, it's the former Fleetwood man who is Sam Smith's first understudy.

Mullin needs to put all that's happened this season behind him, reset and come back stronger next term.

Some people (well, Ian Herbert on this week's pod) say they would rather finish ninth with Palmer and Mullin up front and give them a better send off. That's nuts and I don't think we owe them that level of regard.

They are paid well for what they do and every player knows they will become obsolete at one point. That's football.

But if you are asking me would I finish third and not go up via play-offs (which would happen) with either Mullin or Rodriguez in the team, then I’d definitely go for the former.

But it’s not up to me, so let's throw out some more names. Dan Jarvis, Aaron Hayden and Jordan Davies. Players with talent who got unceremoniously bombed out.

All this proves one thing. Don't mess with Parky. Don't cross him. Don't go behind his back. Don't train with anything but 100%.

There will only be one winner and it won’t be you. And that's the way it should be.

TIM’S VIEW: Regardless of how true the rumours are, Mull and Palmer have had a very good run at it, including all the off pitch bits which have handsomely supplemented their income. If either have acted like a pr*ck then either apologise or leave with your tail between your legs and stop biting the hand that feeds you. You can suddenly fail Parky's dickhead test retrospectively. Not many come back from that.

So is Wrexham worth £100million?

Well, Rob seems’ a little annoyed with Ryan getting the centre spot for making this club worth so much. Actively cutting him out the picture is a little much guys!

It seems a farcical amount for a League One club with three stands, no training ground and only a few truly saleable assets.

The latest deal with the Allyn family means Wrexham are valued at around five times revenue, the same multiple as Premier League team Chelsea, which was bought in 2022 for £2.5 billion.

No bother Rother as we hoover in second heaven

TIM: Yes, this was written before the Reading game, but these little vignettes have to be how you feel at the time. With this in mind, here are five things we learned from Rotherham

• Who won the battle of the Hams: Notts County two seasons ago (!) Mansfield last season Rotherham United last Saturday. All were awash with the genuine belief that we were going to do it, that now is our time. The Notts game was seismic for obvious reasons in a title race our likes won’t see again. After Tranmere derailed our march with a fortunate win at the Cae Ras, we then put Nigel Clough's playoff hopefuls to the sword. And now, after some recent sketchy home form, we eeked out the narrowest of wins over Steve Evans' mid-table sloggers. And when we were second for all of 10 minutes, the realisation hit home. It is ON. Again. Not even Wycombe's desperately late equaliser could dent spirits. Every stand sang in unison, relentlessly from around the 75th minute to get the lads over the line, to well beyond the final whistle. It felt like a vital three points, especially with Stockport having been held to a goalless draw earlier in the day. By the time the next newsletter comes out, we could be six clear of Wycombe Wanderers. Let that sink in. (Ed’s note: We won’t be).

• Pret? More like Park: The perfect Parky results sandwich is being prepared and devoured right before our eyes. It feels like light years ago, but do you remember when Jordan Davies, Harry Lennon and Jake Hyde were spearheading 1-0 wins over Dagenham, Woking and Dover? And after the tantalising fillings of the 111 point season and last, Parky's now solidifying all that goodness with another slice of defensive stodge, the sort that sticks in the throat of opposition fans. Five of our last six league wins have been settled by a one-goal margin, proof that we are, more often than not, hard to beat. And whilst a few more comfortable scorelines would be ideal, we have to remember that our foundations of success, certainly this season more than ever before, have been built on a tight defensive unit. With the newer players buying into this and chipping in, it will take something special to really put serious doubt into our promotion credentials.

• Are we still striker-light?: Rod’s still getting it in the neck from some quarters but Jay Rodriguez had his best game in a Reds shirt. There wasn't even 30 minutes on the clock and the big man had produced three defensive headers. His header for Sam Smith's goal oozed power, awareness and precision. The body bump celebrations between the players felt like an official changing of the guard. Rodriguez is an upgrade on Ollie Palmer, or so we're led to believe. Smith is an upgrade on Paul Mullin, even though he'll never match his goalscoring exploits.

• Hard truths: As the pair finally started to show a greater understanding of one another's game and the system they are asked to adhere to, we still need a plan B. Personally, I'd have a fully fit Paul Mullin on the bench over Jack Marriott, who is still nowhere near at it following his return from injury.

• Back in form? Not Arth. Arthur Okonkwo couldn't have timed three successive clean sheets more perfectly. With the club's official X account celebrating Callum Burton's return to training, Arthur knows he faces a fight to retain the shirt for the run in. Burton was almost faultless before his injury, whereas Arthur has taken a bit of time to get back to a performance level he's happy with.

WhatsApp group post of the week

From a well-known Wrexham supporters WhatsApp group (you know who you are): Still find it wild Walsall's manager being called Matt Sadler. That would be like Graham Potter managing Stoke, Chris Eagles managing Crystal Palace, or Stefan Kuntz managing Ch*ster.

Wrexham fan of the week

Simon with fellow globe trotter SarahJane at Rotherham vs Wrexham

Name: Simon Rolfe (AKA: Cryptik)

Worst moment being a Wrexham fan: Coming to terms with the cutting of players. The Club is always bigger than the player, but when the players carry names such as Mullin, Palmer, Young and one of our own, Davies, it can be hard to separate player from club. Most seem to have gone in good grace and favour, let’s hope that continues.

Best Wrexham goal I’ve seen: Mullin’s first against Boreham Wood is probably the most important, but for me the best is Barnett’s volley v Forest Green, the cross from McClean seemed overcooked for Palmer, but was perfectly served up for a Barnett super volley. What a goal.

Most surreal moment: Actually being at the Cae Ras. As an Aussie bloke of some 50 plus years, I’d never seriously contemplated travelling overseas, until Wrexham called. Got my first ever passport in order to visit Wrexham. I spent the first couple of days in the land of my mother’s birth, Scotland, but the next fortnight in Wrexham. Seeing the town in person was a joy, saying g’day to mates new and old a delight.

Simon with some FiD royalty at the same game

Greatest Moment: Spending shared Wrexham time with my little sister Meg, she lives on the big island of Australia, while I’m on the smaller island of Tasmania, so we don’t get to spend a lot of time together, except for four funerals and a wedding. So having a shared passion for all things Wrexham has bought us closer together and spending time with her and husband Dave in Wrexham, watching Wrexham, drinking Wrexham, eating Wrexham, meeting Wrexham is one of the great joys of my life.

What makes a top red top: Anyone who “gets” Wrexham. The struggle, the community, the history, the unions, the politics. They all come together in the Club we love. Some of us are in the dopamine stage of love, others are at the 30 year anniversary. Love is love. Plastic is forever. PS Anyone willing to travel 10,000 miles one way to see a match.

My all-time Wrexham XI: Ben Foster (was perfect for THAT save), Max Cleworth, Ben Tozer, Tom O’Connor, Ryan Barnett, George Dobson, Ollie Rathbone, Elliot Lee, James McClean, Paul Mullin, Stephen Fletcher. Apologies to all that came before.

Best chant: There can be but one, Wrexham is the Name! That along with all that I got to sing in the stands. Special mention to ‘James McClean make the Wrexham sing’! Ps. Aha!

My Wrexham dinner guests: Parky, McClean, Cannon, Lee and Max.