The Ripple Effect of Ben Foster’s Retirement on Wrexham’s Defense
WREXHAM, WALES - AUGUST 15: Ben Foster of Wrexham during the Sky Bet League Two match between Wrexham and Walsall FC at Racecourse Ground.
If nothing else, Season 3 of Welcome to Wrexham’s first few episodes have already written themselves. After four matches, the Dragons simultaneously lead League Two in both goals scored and goals conceded, with 13 in each category.
And that’s part of why goalkeeper Ben Foster decided to hang up his boots immediately: the keeper wasn’t happy with his results. Wrexham has never been a great defensive side during this run, but the Welsh side is currently on pace to allow an unthinkable 150 goals. To put that in perspective, Doncaster Rovers set the EFL record for defeats in a year with 34 and still only allowed 113 goals that year.
The Defensive Dilemma: Mark Howard as the New Gatekeeper
So the job now falls to previous keeper Mark Howard, who will presumably start for Phil Parkinson’s side until further notice. Here’s how that will impact the Dragons.
Save Percentage Woes: Analyzing Wrexham’s Defensive Statistics
To the defense’s credit, Wrexham isn’t allowing a ton of looks at the goal. For the year, the Dragons have allowed just 21 shots on target in League Two play. Over four matches, that’s not bad at all.
The problem is that 13 of them have found the net for a save percentage of 38.1%. That’s not good by Sunday league standards, let alone the EFL. Wrexham only have five points to this point because of aggressive attacking play bailing them out, not because of anything done on defense.
Howard should be a little better, but not much. When he last played in League Two, Carlisle allowed 62 goals over the course of the year and did not challenge for a playoff place. Plus, he’s 36, and if he was better than Foster, it begs the question as to why Parkinson didn’t select him more often. This shouldn’t be a dropoff, but improvement also seems a stretch.
The Luke McNicholas Factor: Is He Wrexham’s Future in Goal?
If Howard proves no better, it might be time to give Luke McNicholas a try. This was made before Foster retired, and the 23-year-old was playing decently for Sligo Rovers in the Irish Premier League. Sligo wasn’t challenging for a Champions League place by any means, but giving up 37 goals in 27 matches isn’t horrid at all.
The thinking is that Howard’s only a stopgap until McNicholas seems ready to handle the job. He’s only on loan until January, and Sligo likely didn’t give away its first-choice keeper for him to sit in England’s fourth tier. If Wrexham is going to push for a playoff spot, McNicholas might have to use Foster’s retirement as his opportunity.
