Phil Parkinson didn’t hold back after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Blackburn.

“We couldn’t produce the quality we needed,” he said. Wrexham were never short of effort at Ewood Park, but they offered almost no threat, and the numbers suggest the problem runs deeper than one bad afternoon in the Lancashire rain. They head to Sheffield United on Friday night needing to fix it.

Wrexham’s 24 shots at Blackburn told a worrying story

On the face of it, Wrexham had plenty of the ball in the final third. They had 24 shots, 17 of them from inside the box. But only one was on target, and even that was blocked, meaning Balazs Toth didn’t have to make a single save. Of the other 23, ten were blocked and 13 missed the target altogether.

According to FotMob, those 24 shots were worth just 1.60xG. That’s only slightly less than the 1.67xG Wrexham created from 18 shots in the 4-1 win over Preston a week earlier. More shots, less threat.

It wasn’t just poor finishing, either. The decision-making let them down too. Just after the half-hour mark, Callum O’Hare found himself in space between Blackburn’s defence and midfield but chose to pass wide when a shot was on.

Blackburn wasn’t a one-off, either. Wrexham have now created 13.6xG in 12 league games, among the lowest totals in the division.

Sheffield United should give Wrexham chances at Bramall Lane

There is some encouragement ahead of Friday. Wrexham did the double over Sheffield United last season, winning 5-3 at the Racecourse on Boxing Day and 2-1 at Bramall Lane in March. The Blades have also conceded 17.6xG this season, nearly 1.5 per game, so Wrexham should get chances.

Chris Wilder’s side can hurt teams at the other end themselves, though. They created 3.0xG in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Derby at Bramall Lane, and they’ll be frustrated not to have won it.

Parkinson stuck with Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith up top at Blackburn, with O’Hare playing off them, so the shape alone isn’t the problem. With Josh Windass and Nathan Broadhead still injured, he has few alternatives anyway.

What needs to change is the quality of the chances. Wrexham need fewer hopeful efforts from range and blocked shots, and more patience to work better openings. Ben Sheaf’s return from injury could help them keep the ball in midfield.

Wrexham are now four away league games without a win, and they’ve slipped to 17th. They won at Bramall Lane last season, but another flat display on Friday night and the questions around Parkinson will only grow.