Wrexham's Championship campaign has hit a serious low point. The 6-0 defeat at West Ham United on September 11 stands as the heaviest loss of the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney era, and manager Phil Parkinson was quick to accept personal responsibility for a performance that exposed the squad's defensive frailties at the worst possible time. The result left Wrexham 19th in the table with seven points from seven games, level with Portsmouth above them and Bolton Wanderers below.

The timing is difficult. Phil Parkinson's side had shown flickers of promise earlier in the month, beating Millwall 3-0 away from home before drawing 0-0 at league leaders Swansea City and then 1-1 with Burnley. That sequence suggested a team capable of competing, which makes the West Ham collapse harder to explain. Consistency has been the persistent problem, and the London Stadium result underlined it sharply.

Off the pitch, the club has also drawn unwanted attention. Local officials told Wrexham to get their act in order after the club carried out development work at their Colliers Park training ground without securing full planning permission, adding an administrative headache to a difficult week. The ownership group did complete a £2 million signing of Manchester City defender Issa Kabore during this period, which at least signals continued investment in the squad. Wrexham host Southampton on September 19, a fixture that now carries real weight as the club looks to arrest a slide before it becomes something more serious.