Kenyan Defender Benched Again as Big-Spending English Championship Club Continues Worrying Slump

Harambee Stars defender Zak Vyner was an unused substitute as his club Wrexham suffered a damaging defeat in the English Championship on Friday.

Wrexham slumped to 17th place on the Championship table following a 1-0 loss to Sheffield United, leaving coach Phil Parkinson on the brink of the sack, after spending big but failing to inspire his team so far.

Despite spending more than £70 million in the last three transfer windows, Wrexham, who missed the Premier League promotion playoffs by one-point last season, are looking down rather than up with attention now turning to Parkinson’s position although the tactician has questioned the application and desire of his players.

“I just said to the lads in there, ‘We played Sheffield United in the National League, went toe to toe with a top Championship team and came here 10 days later with everyone thinking our chance had gone and we’d roll over’,” the 58-year-old as per The Athletic.

“But we went toe to toe again, putting in an unbelievable performance with a lot lesser team (than today). We did a lot better against a better side, and we have to look at the reasons for that.”

Ben Brereton Diaz’s first-half strike made all the difference for Sheffield and Parkinson feels his players did not cover themselves in glory.

“Whatever system you play or personnel you play, the team has to represent the town in the way it has done for the vast majority of the last five years,” said Parkinson.

“I think this season we have had some really good performance, but I don’t feel we have got the consistent effort level and desire every week. That’s what our fans are used to seeing.

“We were similar at this stage last year. We were patchy and we worked with the group on an understanding as to what it means to play for this club and how much teams want to beat us. How much all the opposition supporters want to beat us. And what it takes to wear that shirt.

“We got it and nearly got in the play-offs. We have to get to that level with this group.”

It was the third straight match on the bench for Vyner who now looks to have a battle on his hands to win his place back in the team.