Wrexham are enjoying their best ever start to a third-tier season – with former Wales captain Barry Horne already believing they are fully good enough for the play-offs.
The 3-0 win over Shrewsbury Town on Saturday to go top of League One made it four wins from five in an unbeaten return to this level after 19 years.
“At the moment Wrexham are irresistible,” Horne said after watching Shrewsbury beaten at the Racecourse.
Their unbeaten start and points return is unmatched in Wrexham’s 25 seasons at this level, first appearing in 1958 when the old Third Division North and South combined to also create a new Fourth Division.
Only the 1994-95 season under Brian Flynn comes close to the 13 points already amassed, the year of Gary Bennett’s 47 goals starting with 11 points from the opening five games and not tasting defeat until seven games in to the campaign.
Phil Parkinson’s current side head to Birmingham City next Monday to try to maintain their impressive start following back-to-back promotions.
And while former Wrexham midfielder Horne says that will be a fuller examination of Wrexham’s strength, he insists the Dragons have got the depth to mount a challenge.
“There is a calm expectation here,” he said.
“They can’t have done much more; four wins and a draw with a clean sheet against Bolton, a side no-one would be surprised to see in the play-offs.
“Let’s not get carried away – I’m sure phil Parkinson won’t be – but let’s see where we are after 10 games, take a step back, a deep breath and enjoy what’s happening.”
He added: “Once again they have the strongest squad. Their bench on Saturday was awesome and Phil Parkinson has got depth of resources very few other clubs will have – although I suspect Birmingham might have by the time the season ends.
“But what I would say, after seeing the first five games I fully expect them to be in the top six. I don’t think there’s going to be six teams that are better than them over the course of the season.
“There will be teams that can stop them and offer far more opposition defensively and far more of a threat at the other end of the pitch.
“But there’s no-one to fear. They won’t win every game, but we will know more after the Birmingham game.”
The clean sheet against Shrewsbury made it four so far this season after also shutting out Bolton, Reading and Peterborough. No side in the EFL has more so far and while Horne says they had to bide their time against Shrewsbury, he says the quality in the attacking third is notable.
“They didn’t dominate the game, but it’s churlish to criticise them and you shouldn’t underestimate the quality they have got in key moments,” he told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
“They have firepower coming off the bench which is going to pay dividends as the season goes on.”
