Wycombe Wanderers: Matt Bloomfield has to address new recruit issue on show v Wrexham ASAP - View | OneFootball

Wycombe fans were critical of their summer additions after the defeat to Wrexham, Matt Bloomfield will need to make sure they bed in ASAP

Wycombe Wanderers fell to a second successive opening-day defeat after newly promoted Wrexham edged the Chairboys 3-2 in a thrilling encounter. Whilst there were plenty of positives for Matt Bloomfield to take from the match, he will certainly be concerned about the performance of some of his new signings and hope they gel with the rest of the squad ASAP.

Bloomfield's men have certainly improved from the previous year's humbling at the hands of Exeter City but were unable to get the better of Phil Parkinson's Red Dragons. Whilst it's incredibly harsh to judge players from one game, a few of Wycombe's new recruits came under fire from fans, as the Chairboys conceded two very sloppy goals which ultimately cost them the game.

With an incredibly hard run against Birmingham City, Rotherham United, Blackpool, and Mansfield Town around the corner, the Wanderers' boss will need to make sure these costly errors are quickly addressed.

Wycombe shot themselves in the foot against Wrexham

There were flashbacks of last season among the travelling fans at Stok Cae Ras on Saturday afternoon, as their team found themselves 2-0 down after 30 minutes. An avoidable goal directly from a corner by Max Cleworth gave the hosts the lead, which they doubled thanks to an outrageous finish from Jack Marriott. The Chairboys finally woke up after this, hitting the bar and having another header scrambled off the line just before half-time.

Ten minutes into the second half, the game would be blown wide open as Richard Kone opened his and Wycombe's account for the 2024/25 season. The game seemed poised for an equalizer, and it seemed like it would only be a matter of time until that happened. However, against the run of play, Steven Fletcher put the game to bed when Alex Hartridge's poor clearance fell to the former Scotland international on the edge of the box.

Frustratingly, Sam Vokes added a second for the visitors with just a few minutes remaining. This wouldn't prove to be the spark though, as the referee blew for full-time. The Blues could've had a point at the minimum from the game but left North Wales empty-handed.

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

Despite the disappointing result, Wanderers had the lion's share of the stats, and it was certainly far from doom and gloom at the final whistle. Bloomfield's side grew into the game and should've come away with something tangible after their great effort to haul themselves back into contention.

There seemed to be a sense of frustration, pride, and confusion among the 1,100 away supporters when the final whistle went. Whilst there was plenty of positive play going forward, showing Wycombe could be more than a match for a strong Wrexham outfit, that seemed to be overshadowed by the nature of the goals the Chairboys conceded. The consensus was that the Welsh side's first and third goals could've been easily avoided, but a lack of awareness at the back cost the Blues at least a point.

However, Bloomfield will be relieved that this happened at the earliest possible opportunity, as the players can learn from their mistakes and make sure they are addressed properly before the season is in full swing.

Wrexham were victorious by exposing Wycombe's weaknesses

Fans took to social media and were soon questioning the performances of some of the summer signings. Midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson was dragged off just after half-time by his manager in favour of another debutant, Daniel Udoh. The former Sheffield Wednesday man struggled to get into the game, misplacing several passes and being dispossessed in the middle of the park, which led to Wrexham's chances.

Hartridge cost his team the third and ultimately decisive goal with his poor clearance and seemed to also have a tough first outing in Blue, as the task of marking Ollie Palmer would've suited the more physically imposing Joe Low better. The former Exeter defender was played on the left of the partnership to accommodate him being left-footed, which led to a slight mismatch between him and Palmer, whilst Low dealt with the less physical Marriott.

This move by Parkinson proved to be genius, as Palmer convincingly got the better of Hartridge throughout the match, allowing Marriott to pick up the pieces when they were available. This led to a stunning second Wrexham goal, as Palmer's acrobatic flick was rifled into the top corner by his strike partner.

Bakinson seemed to be trying too hard to impress at points, as he often opted for a Hollywood pass rather than just playing the simple ball. Resulting in a few squandered moves for the Chairboys, Bloomfield opted to switch to two strikers and bring off the Luton Town academy graduate. This would change the game, as the newly introduced Udoh proved to be a spark in Wycombe's attack, showing he had capability in the air, as well as his great ball-carrying and pressing abilities.

Former AFC Wimbledon striker, Palmer, proved to be the difference in the game, doing exactly what would've been expected of him as a target forward. His dominance in the air proved to be pivotal in Wrexham's attacking play, as the 32-year-old won the overall battle against Hartridge. Many suggestions after the game from Wycombe fans suggested that Ryan Tafazolli, who was left on the bench, may have been better suited to that type of game.

How Bloomfield can address this issue

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

As previously mentioned, this potential issue needed to rear its head early into the season, so there is plenty of time to iron it out. Sloppy mistakes later down the line could not only define the outcome of the season but shatter the team's morale at a crucial phase of the season. There is still a minimum of 50 competitive matches that can be played this season, 45 of which are in the league.

With the level of performance Wycombe put on show, it's far from panic stations yet for Bloomfield, as his side proved that they could dominate strong opposition such as Wrexham at their own home. Unfortunately, all the statistics are meaningless to an extent when you don't get a positive result from the game, which is where the 40-year-old must be cautious.

The game will be watched back, analysed, and dissected by the players and staff. This will allow defensive scenarios where the Blues struggle to be worked on in training, and make sure the players learn from their errors. This is the only way the Wycombe manager can attempt to solve these mistakes, by drilling into the players how to deal with all the different scenarios they'll be expected to defend.

Of course, it will take time for the new signings to bed in with the rest of the squad. However, this is something all teams deal with, and Wycombe have been far from the busiest in the transfer market. Not to mention that they haven't signed a player since early July, which gave all the new additions plenty of time to get used to their new surroundings. It would be extremely harsh to judge players from one match, but if the mistakes and poor performances continue, Bloomfield will have to be cutthroat towards those who aren't performing to his standard.