Phil Parkinson: Calm remains after Stoke defeat but changes needed at Wrexham?

The sight of the fit Rathe Rathbone – Player of last year – in the Tuesday Squad for the first time since the first season adds weight to the sentiments.

At the same time, Parkinson’s cannot be ignored by the inconsistent progress so far, although many fans have seen the stoke in the stoke.

While the run of games brings pressure, it also brings opportunity, with Keeffer Moore between the Adams Wrexham are not far from clicking and they will be a real threat if they do.

Before the next international break – and all within three weeks – there are also games in Wrexham against Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic, although the Addicks are well into their own promotion.

And then there’s the small matter of a chance to reach the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup as they welcome Welsh rivals Cardiff City.

Get it right and Wrexham will have people talking for all the right reasons. Something Parkinson would know well.

“We have to just analyze the performance and not get down about it,” Parkinson said.

“It’s something about how far we’ve come that we’re going to give up ahead of 25,000 and be disappointed not to get something from the game.

“But we have to look at ourselves. I think it’s good to be angry, I think that it’s good to be a little restless and we don’t have standards behind and say okay ‘.

“They’re a great group of lads who work hard and are excited about what we’ve got in the building, I am.

“We’re getting knocked around, but we’ll be back fighting on Wednesday.”

And with many looking hard at Wrexham – and perhaps even rooting for them to fail – a win will make it more manageable to prevent a return to that narrative.