On an evening when Phil Parkinson turned to what’s successfully his backup XI, Wrexham’s abundance of enjoying riches was clear for all to see.
Lining up towards Salford Metropolis within the Bristol Avenue Motors Trophy had been summer time signings Dan Scarr, Seb Revan, Lewis Brunt and Callum Burton. All arrived with spectacular pedigrees — not least a mixed 5 EFL promotions — and will probably be trying to play an enormous function within the League One marketing campaign regardless of spending the opening few weeks on the bench.
Additionally beginning the League One leaders’ opening Group B fixture had been James Jones and Will Boyle, who boasted almost 50 League Two appearances between them final season. After which there was the strikeforce of Paul Mullin and Mo Faal, Wrexham’s goalscoring talisman and club-record £500,000 ($650,000) signing respectively.
With such expertise on present, no marvel the attendance for a 2-1 dwelling victory was a wholesome 6,640 — means above the crowds of 693 and 851 who had watched the earlier ties on this group at Salford and Port Vale.
Mullin, on his first begin since present process again surgical procedure in the summertime, stole the present with a surprising curled end. However there was nonetheless loads of curiosity in strike associate Faal, the 21-year-old making his debut after becoming a member of from West Bromwich Albion on deadline day. So, how did the Gambian-born new boy do?
Welshpool’s again.
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/ZUkdUmAhiX
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) September 10, 2024
Maybe the most effective place to start out is with a little bit of background…
Faal’s senior breakthrough got here final season when he hung out on mortgage at Doncaster Rovers and Walsall in League Two. He netted 13 league objectives, plus one other couple within the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.
The under evaluation of these league strikes reveals how lethal he may be from shut vary, with all 13 being scored from contained in the penalty space. Many of those had been first-time efforts on objective, suggesting he doesn’t lack confidence when a chance comes alongside.
5 of these had been headers, together with his first EFL objective in Doncaster’s 2-1 loss at Wrexham in September final yr when he coolly nodded the ball between Boyle and Ollie Palmer on the road.
With an anticipated objectives (xG) of 14.8, his closing tally was slightly below par. However Faal’s willingness to attempt his luck with both foot is encouraging, as is the aerial risk he poses at 6ft 5in (195cm).
His League Two objectives return is made all of the extra spectacular by the truth that neither Doncaster nor Walsall had been precisely flying throughout his keep. Eventual play-offs qualifiers Rovers, as an example, had been nineteenth when Faal performed his twenty fifth and closing look for them on January 6.
Solely Joe Ironside, a striker Wrexham had enquired about in the summertime of 2023, had netted extra for Rovers than Faal’s seven league objectives at that stage of the marketing campaign.
At Walsall, he made extra appearances from the bench (11) than begins (9) however he nonetheless contributed some spectacular objectives, most notably towards Harrogate City when, after accumulating a raking move 35 yards out, he rounded off a tremendous breakaway by curling in from simply contained in the penalty space.
⚽️ New mortgage signing Mo Faal has already scored 9⃣ objectives in all competitions to this point this season
🤞 Fingers crossed for much more in a #Saddlers shirt! pic.twitter.com/VuzJ4j3wCc
— Walsall FC Official (@WFCOfficial) January 15, 2024
Did anything stand out from that first style of EFL motion?
Doncaster supervisor Grant McCann was not greatest happy when Faal reduce brief his keep to return to The Hawthorns in mid-January earlier than subsequently going out on mortgage to Walsall. However, earlier than that, he’d been happy with the younger loanee, even suggesting to BBC Radio Sheffield in mid-October that he can be “unplayable” in two to a few years.
Loads of work went into growing Faal at Rovers, together with McCann sitting down with him to observe video footage of Peterborough United striker Jonson Clarke-Harris. He additionally inspired the loanee to spend extra time between the posts, versus drifting too extensive.
These phrases clearly sunk in, as proven by how so lots of his objectives got here from central areas. Walsall supervisor Mat Sadler was additionally impressed, telling the Specific and Star in April how Faal reminded him of Luton City striker Elijah Adebayo throughout his personal spell with the West Midlands membership.
🗣️ “I’ve had a smile on my face since I have been right here. I’m excited and totally buzzing to be right here – I can’t wait to get began.”
Mo Faal on signing for Wrexham AFC 🙌
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/0EB4EHTdfI
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) August 30, 2024
So, how did Faal carry out on his Wrexham debut?
On an evening when the hosts seemed disjointed at instances, particularly throughout the centre of the sector the place 4 wing-backs occupied the 5 beginning XI slots, judging anybody’s true potential wasn’t straightforward.
However Faal was a handful within the air, profitable a sequence of headers regardless of Salford’s greatest makes an attempt to disrupt the striker with a sly push right here and a pull there. He additionally protected the ball nicely when performed into toes, a trait that’s integral to how Wrexham play as this enables the midfield to advance en masse.
He’s additionally clearly a work-in-progress. At instances, the debutant drifted too deep, that means he and Mullin had been too far aside to hyperlink up successfully if Wrexham had the prospect to interrupt.
There was one wild shot on objective that flew excessive and extensive, and a unnecessary reserving halfway by way of the primary half for hacking Haji Mnoga to the ground.
However, Parkinson was happy with Faal’s efforts earlier than being substituted 12 minutes from time. “He labored nicely for the group,” mentioned the Wrexham supervisor, whose aspect prevailed towards Salford due to a late Boyle objective.
“Perhaps he tried a bit too onerous a few instances, akin to that shot from 35 yards. However that’s to be anticipated as a result of he’s a younger lad who’s eager to point out everybody how good he’s.
“The extra he trains with us, the higher he’ll turn out to be. He’s a great lad, hungry to enhance, and he has fitted in very well with the group.”
(High picture: Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC through Getty Photographs)
