I managed Wrexham - Phil Parkinson needs to follow my lead to get best out of his team
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Every manager will have a philosophy, a preferred way of playing and, ideally, a preferred starting eleven. But football has a habit of ripping up even the best-laid plans. Injuries, illness, loss of form, suspensions, attitude and a whole host of other factors can quickly turn a managers carefully constructed blueprint on its head. That is when flexibility, both tactically and within the squad, becomes so important.
The past week has been a good example of how a relatively small tactical adjustment can make a significant difference, particularly when a squad is being ravaged by injuries in key attacking areas. With three creative players unavailable, alongside the new long-term injury to Sam Smith (wishing him a speedy recovery), Phil Parkinson has been forced to revisit a familiar formation from our League One campaign. Without our recognised ‘number 10s’, he has returned to a midfield three, with one holding midfielder, or ‘6’, and two more advanced ‘8s’, rather than the previous system of two deeper midfielders and two attacking tens.
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For me, it brought greater balance. Against Blackburn, Todd Cantwell had found plenty of joy drifting into the wide areas when we were playing with narrow deep midfielders, a number 10 and two strikers. The change helped provide greater defensive stability, but it also offered something going forward. The two ‘8s’ were given more licence to get beyond the ball, link up with the wing-backs and connect with the strikers. It gave us different options and, importantly, a better balance between attack and defence.
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Would that change have happened if everyone had been fit? Probably not. And that’s where management becomes interesting.
There was another calculated gamble in moving Lewis O’Brien into the number 10 role, playing just off Kieffer Moore. It isn’t a natural position for Lewis, who generally prefers to operate from deeper areas, but he certainly possesses some of the attributes required. His energy allows him to lead the press, he anticipates situations well and his movement can cause opponents problems. It’s a risk when a player hasn’t regularly occupied that position, but Parkinson’s options are limited and sometimes necessity forces your hand.
This is where a manager needs a little bit of creative thinking, and perhaps a slice of luck. A new combination clicks, a player discovers a position that suits him or somebody takes an unexpected opportunity and makes it their own.
Of course, it doesn’t always work! Brian Flynn and Peter Reid both decided that playing me at right midfield might be the answer at various points in my career. Let’s just say those particular experiments weren’t quite as successful!
Lewis O'Brien put in a brilliant performance in the No.10 role -Credit:GETTYBut that’s the nature of football management. When you’re desperately searching for a solution, sometimes the decision made out of necessity rather than choice can produce the biggest rewards. It can transform a team’s fortunes, give a player a new lease of life or even kick-start an entire season.
We’ve seen it at Wrexham before. Last season, George Thomason’s move to wing-back was born largely out of necessity as injuries began to bite. He took to the role like a duck to water, we went on to win four consecutive games and the move helped ignite our season. He subsequently became a contender for Player of the Year. Phil Parkinson has also shown that willingness to think outside the box previously, with Tom O’Connor moving into the left-sided centre-back position rather than his preferred midfield role.
One of my best signings was Mark Carrington. He was a central midfielder when we brought him in, but we desperately needed a full-back, so we moved him into that position. He never looked back and went on to make more than 150 appearances for the club. He did manage to score an own goal in his first game, which perhaps wasn’t the ideal introduction, but thankfully we stuck with him!
Perhaps the best example was Nat Knight-Percival. We brought Nat in from non-league Histon as a winger. He was an all-action player who gave absolutely everything, but initially he was more of a squad player. During pre-season, with options limited, Dean Saunders moved him into centre-back for a game. He was outstanding, ended up playing the whole season there and went on to enjoy a fantastic career, making more than 300 appearances in the EFL.
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We’ve even had Gareth Owen filling in between the posts after a red card left us without a substitute goalkeeper. A half probably enough for that particular experiment.
Looking ahead, one of the most important factors in our recent successes has been Kieffer Moore. With him currently our only fit, experienced senior striker, keeping him fit and managing his workload is absolutely crucial. He gives us a platform, occupies defenders and allows others to play off him. Opponents know how important he is to our game, which means he takes plenty of punishment from all angles. We’ll undoubtedly see more of Bailey Cadamarteri as a result, and he will get the opportunity he’s been craving! But it does raise another interesting question. If we were to lose our key striker, would Parkinson consider playing without a recognised centre-forward, perhaps using a collection of attacking midfielders or false nines? Now that would be a significant gamble!
You can spend hours planning, preparing and working on your preferred system, but ultimately circumstances will dictate what you do. The best managers are those who can adapt, recognise the strengths of the players available and have the courage to try something different. Sometimes the gamble pays off. Sometimes it doesn’t. And occasionally, all the tactical thinking in the world still needs a little bit of luck!