Phil Parkinson made his Wrexham players rewatch their entire first-half performance against Sheffield United as he looked to address issues of “accountability” within the first-team squad.

The Red Dragons produced another poor display in their 1–0 defeat at Bramall Lane on Friday night, their third loss in the last four matches. Wrexham have struggled to pose a threat on the road recently, managing just one shot on target across their last four away league matches.

Parkinson questioned his side’s fighting spirit after the latest defeat, claiming his players showed more fight and determination when competing in the National League. The under-fire manager will hope his team can respond when they host Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Racecourse Ground this week, as they look to halt their slide down the table and revive their season.

Wrexham Voice ‘Home Truths’ at Team Meeting

Parkinson typically shows his players only short clips from matches during their weekly team meetings, but on Monday he decided to replay the entire first half of their defeat to Sheffield United.

“There was a meeting that needed to take place,” Parkinson told Sports Illustrated.

Asked about the mood in the room, Parkinson added: “I think there was decent honesty in the room yesterday. We sat down and watched the whole first half. I think it is important we did that and talked about accountability, what we did and what we needed to do.

“Quite often we show parts of a game, but I felt we needed to sit down and watch the whole of it as a group. There were some discussion points, but sometimes the door has got to be closed, and we have got to get some honesty within the group. I felt we did that. It’s up to us to respond.”

Parkinson will hope his senior players can step up and take responsibility when Middlesbrough visit the Racecourse in midweek. Midfielder George Thomason is among those who could be handed a start. The 25-year-old was a box-to-box midfielder when he joined the club last year, but won his manager over with his willingness to fill in at left wingback during an injury crisis.

Thomason returned from the treatment room in the closing stages of the Sheffield United defeat and hopes the team can show a response following their meeting.

“I think at times in a football dressing room, you’ve got to have that honesty and openness and say a few home truths,” Thomason told Sports Illustrated.

“If you don’t, this isn’t just the playing staff or the manager; it is about the players as well. Everyone being aligned with where we are currently, what we want to achieve, and how we go about doing that. So the fact that we have had discussions over the last two days or so about what makes us good and how that looks has been positive. We want to start replicating that more on a matchday.”