Phil Parkinson reacts after making big Paul Mullin decision at Wrexham AFC | OneFootball

Phil Parkinson has explained his decision to drop Jack Marriott for Paul Mullin over the weekend

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has explained his decision to hand Paul Mullin his first start of the 2024/25 League One campaign in place of top scorer Jack Marriott for Saturday's 2-1 victory over Crawley Town.

After falling to a 3-1 defeat away at promotion rivals Birmingham City on Monday evening, Wrexham dusted themselves down and returned to winning ways by seeing off Crawley by two goals to one over the weekend, with Elliot Lee and Max Cleworth scoring either side of the interval.

Wrexham's latest victory returned them to the summit of the League One table after seven matches, although second-placed Blues still have a game in hand.

The two sides, both of whom have significant financial backing by third-tier standards and Stateside stars in the boardroom, very much appear the teams to beat this term. Indeed, Wrexham's defeat in the Second City ensured that Blues now remain as the only unbeaten side in League One.

Phil Parkinson explains Wrexham decision involving Paul Mullin and Jack Marriott

Parkinson is blessed with an extremely strong striker stable at his disposal, one which is sure to cause many selection headaches over the course of the campaign.

He likely experienced as much when deciding to omit leading goalscorer Marriot for the first time in the league this season, entrusting Mullin with a starting berth instead. Mullin, who has scored more than 100 goals for Wrexham in three years following his 2021 arrival from Cambridge United, missed the start of the season after undertaking spinal surgery back in the summer but received his first league start in place of Marriott.

Ex-Derby County and Peterborough United frontman Marriott had scored four goals in Wrexham's opening six games before being dropped to the bench for Crawley's visit to North Wales, although he eventually replaced Mullin after 71 minutes.

Parkinson insists that the two forwards both have a vital role to play this term, emphasizing the importance of squad rotation and balance.

"We haven't got a 'this is our starting XI' situation going on and I just felt that a bit of freshness at the top of the pitch would be important," Parkinson explained via The Leader.

"We went with Paul but Jack has been brilliant and he knows that.

"He has come a long way for us since pre-season, he has done well and I don't want him to get too disappointed because any striker knows that managers around the country change strikers around during games and from game to game to get that extra bit of sharpness at the top of the pitch.

"And if you think how much training the lads did in pre-season and how many games they have had, Paul needs the minutes so that will do him good but Jack will be ready when called upon again.

"It's not like we are saying Paul is ahead of Jack or vice-versa, as a manager you have got to make decisions sometimes and Paul was tiring as we thought he would do in that period, Jack came on and gave us a lift when we needed it the most and nearly scored an outstanding goal."

Wrexham's strength in depth could make all the difference in League One promotion race

The top-end of League One is already shaping up to be extremely competitive, but Wrexham's strength in depth in terms of their attacking options could make a huge difference to the promotion race.

Aside from Mullin and Marriott - two seasoned and experienced goalscorers - Wrexham also have a veteran who has scored everywhere he has been in Steven Fletcher, a game-changing physical presence in the aforementioned Palmer and young striker Mo Faal, who scored 15 times across all competitions with Doncaster Rovers and Walsall last term before leaving parent club West Bromwich Albion in the summer.

Parkinson has a variety of profiles to call upon, although they should all promise plenty of goals at this level. The biggest challenge, then, may just be keeping them all happy and match-fit, but perhaps only Birmingham can eclipse the depth and quality of Wrexham's striker options.