Rob McElhenney would have seen one shining light for Wrexham during their defeat to Birmingham City.

Rob McElhenney was in attendance as Wrexham suffered loss against Birmingham City, but he was impressed by one player.

Birmingham City defeated Wrexham 3-1 in front of a star-studded stadium crowd that included Rob McElhenney, Tom Brady, Gary Neville, and David Beckham.

Phil Parkinson praised Wrexham’s early performance as ‘outstanding’, and deservedly so.Jack Marriott put the visitors ahead inside three minutes.

McElhenney would have assumed that the Welsh team was on their way to another victory at this time, but the game’s storyline quickly changed.

Birmingham dominated Wrexham, scoring three goals, including a brace from £15 million signing Jay Stansfield.

Despite surrendering more than they had in their previous five league games, one defensive man stood out for the Reds.

Eoghan O’Connell was Wrexham’s top player ahead of Rob McElhenney.

Eoghan O’Connell was the main performer in Wrexham’s back three, alongside regular teammates Tom O’Connor and Max Cleworth.

While he had the tough duty of defending against Stansfield and was caught beneath the ball for Birmingham’s second goal, he still put in a strong effort in front of McElhenney.

The Irishman won four out of eight aerial duels and all six ground duels, demonstrating his ability to clear most challenges in the box.

O’Connell was likewise composed in Wrexham’s brief possession, completing 34 of his 45 passes (76%) while properly placing three long balls and contributing significantly to Marriott’s goal.

Despite a difficult night for Parkinson’s team, the 29-year-old deserves to be recognized for his efforts.

Wrexham’s defensive record for 2024/25

Parkinson’s approach is based on defensive stability, which is seen in the majority of their league encounters.

Wrexham had four clean sheets in a row before meeting Birmingham, including against Bolton and Peterborough, with the only two goals conceded coming at home to Wycombe Wanderers on the first day.

While the Reds were picked apart by the Blues’ great brilliance, notably for their second and third goals, Parkinson’s players may be optimistic about their sturdy defending.

There will be many games this season in which Birmingham scores more than three goals, therefore it is not a disgrace to lose in the manner that Wrexham did.

As a result, if the first five matches are any indication, Wrexham might have one of the league’s strongest defences.

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