Wrexham AFC will have Ryan Hardie concern on Plymouth Argyle evidence | OneFootball

New Wrexham AFC striker must shake one habit he developed at Plymouth Argyle

The summer transfer window has been advantageous in the past for Wrexham AFC, but one of their latest signings comes with a considerable risk.

As we have come to expect since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over at the club, the Red Dragons have been relatively quiet on the transfer front early on this summer.

Next season they will be putting a lot on the shoulders of an experienced Scottish forward to try and add some much-needed attacking depth in the upcoming Championship campaign. Phil Parkinson and the management team will be asking a lot of Ryan Hardie, though it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to deliver.

Ryan Hardie’s career before Wrexham

Born in Scotland and a longtime supporter of Rangers, it was undoubtedly a dream for Ryan Hardie to begin his footballing journey for the Glasgow side.

After being part of their youth setup since 2010, he was finally called up to the senior squad in 2014. However, he failed to make a significant impression on the manager, earning a combined 13 senior caps domestically over three seasons.

In between those years in Glasgow, though, Hardie showed, if put in the right situation, he could deliver, netting six or more goals in four of his five loan spells at various clubs in either the Scottish Premiership or Scottish Championship between 2015-16 and 2018-19.

Those performances eventually earned him a move to England with League One side Blackpool in July 2019. He only played in seven matches for them but was allowed to showcase his abilities at Plymouth Argyle, spending two seasons with them on loan. He made a good impression on them, and they eventually signed him to a permanent deal in late January 2021.

It was during his playing days in South West England that Hardie displayed his potential, particularly in the 2022-23 League One campaign, leading the team with 13 goals in that competition. That output enabled the Pilgrims to win the league for a record third time and earn a place in the Championship.

After barely staving off relegation in their first season back in the second tier, though, Plymouth were relegated from the Championship this past season despite Hardie’s 10 goals.

While last season was rough, Hardie left the club with many fond memories, having reached the century mark for goals at the club in February and scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in a massive FA Cup upset victory over Liverpool eight days later.

Pilgrim fans have a lot of love and appreciation for Hardie, and seeing him leave had to be a bitter pill to swallow following their descent back into League One.

Ryan Hardie brings a lot of value to Wrexham

When Wrexham AFC announced on their website that they’d signed Ryan Hardie to a three-year contract, it was far from an eye-catching move in the eyes of Red Dragon supporters.

At the same time, he seemed very enthusiastic about moving to North Wales, telling the club website: “I’m delighted to get the move done. I’m really happy to get it done so early, and I cannot wait to get going.

“To get a full pre-season will be a massive benefit, to get integrated into the squad and learn the way the manager plays and get to know everyone will be important.”

He’s already made a strong first impression, scoring in a 3-0 pre-season friendly triumph over Melbourne Victory.

Hardie’s reported fee of £700,000, according to Sky Sports, could prove to be a bargain for the Red Dragons. The 28-year-old has many things this team are missing at the moment. Among them is Championship experience, having made over 75 appearances at that level; in addition to that, his pace, work rate, and quality in the attacking third could take a considerable load off the shoulders of Sam Smith.

In the final few months of the previous League One campaign, it felt like Wrexham’s record winter signing had to play the role of goalscorer and provider while also working his socks off to get into good scoring positions. Hardie’s arrival could alleviate some of that pressure on Smith, who, like many Wrexham players, has little Championship experience. Hardie’s also got first-hand knowledge of what it means to move up from League One to the Championship and how difficult that step is.

Wrexham will have one major Ryan Hardie concern

For as many attributes as Hardie may add to the Red Dragons’ front line, he’s far from a slam-dunk signing.

On the one hand, he’s netted multiple goals in four successive EFL domestic campaigns, the last two being in the Championship. At the same time, however, his time at Plymouth Argyle indicates that he can be a somewhat streaky player.

Last season, he scored seven Championship goals from matchday 30 to 40 but only netted once before that in their fifth league game. In the prior campaign, he scored five times in Plymouth’s first six league contests but only netted once from the seventh to 24th contests of the Championship campaign and failed to score in their final 12 domestic affairs.

He also didn’t score in any of their final 11 matches of the 2022-23 League One campaign, despite leading them with 13 goals domestically that season.

It’ll be a challenge for Phil Parkinson to ensure Hardie’s confidence remains high at Wrexham should he suffer a dry spell, because although strikers like Hardie do more than just score goals, if he continues to be the streaky player we saw at Plymouth, he’ll face plenty of criticism.

If he struggles for long stretches, too, that will put plenty on the shoulders of Sam Smith, which might not be as easy for him against quicker and more intelligent backlines.

Hardie may have proven he can score at this level, but next season he’ll still need to show he can consistently be an asset to a side with Premier League aspirations, who will face stiff opposition every week.