The Wrexham freight train is rolling into League Two this season – and they'll be taking no prisoners despite being newly-promoted

Love them or loathe them, it's going to be impossible to ignore Wrexham's first season back in the Football League since 2008. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have transformed the fallen giants beyond recognition over the past two-and-a-half years and, following their record-breaking promotion from the National League, they are finally mixing it with the big boys again.

However, this isn't going to be a season of consolidation. Reynolds and McElhenney have never been ones to temper expectation when it comes to their football club and all of the noises coming out of the SToK Racecourse suggests that the Dragons believe they can go up again.

To get the players sharp for the task ahead, Phil Parkinson's charges were whisked off on a pre-season tour of the United States, where they basked in their new-found fame stateside as well as playing friendlies against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

It's not been a perfect summer, though. During that United clash, star man Paul Mullin was unintentionally clattered by Nathan Bishop, leaving him with a punctured lung. The unpleasant injury means Mullin will miss the opening part of Wrexham's season – which is a real blow. They've also struggled, or opted against, strengthening in the transfer market.

So, where does all this leave the Dragons heading into the 2023-24 campaign? GOAL takes an in-depth look at their prospects…

Getty ImagesRealistic expectations

This team is good enough to secure one of the three automatic promotion spots. Although they've been quiet on the transfer front since securing the National League title, Reynolds and McElhenney have almost exclusively recruited players operating 'below their level' since taking over in north Wales.

Rob Lainton, Callum McFadzean, Ben Tozer, Eoghan O'Connell, Elliot Lee and Paul Mullin have all won promotion from the fourth tier in the past, while several others in the squad can even boast Premier League experience or higher-division play-off wins. Their manager, Parkinson, also knows how to get out of the league, having done so with Bradford City in 2013.

Few clubs in the division can compete with the Dragons' wage budget, though their principle competition will likely come from Stockport, Gillingham, Salford and old National League sparring partners Notts County.

Away from the league, Wrexham will be hopeful of replicating their FA Cup run from last season, where they reached the fourth round before being beaten by Sheffield United in a tense replay.

It should be easier this season to experience success on this front. Not only will they enter the FA Cup at a later stage, they'll also have an extra trophy to vie for; losing the FA Trophy but gaining the Carabao Cup and Papa Johns Trophy.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBest-case scenario

This Wrexham team got a taste of glory last season and they'll be desperate to keep the momentum going. It's a long campaign, but their squad is strong and if they are in a good position by Christmas, Parkinson will likely be backed in the January transfer window.

Reynolds and McElhenney will also be hoping that season two of 'Welcome to Wrexham' is another box-office hit, further increasing their already-sizeable commercial footprint across the globe. In an ideal world, the Dragons would be in a strong position on and off the pitch to complete an unprecedented triple promotion by the end of the season.

Getty ImagesWorst-case scenario

Mentally and physically drained from a demanding U.S. tour, Parkinson's charges fall behind the pace-setters and cannot regain ground, finishing outside the play-off places.

That is the fear that will be playing on Wrexham fans' minds as we creep towards the start of the season. When the club's pre-season jaunt were announced, a portion of locally-based supporters had raised concerns about the toll that all those air miles could take on the squad.

And while Wrexham took steps to prevent this, including employing sleep experts and subjecting players to intense physical MOTs, a slow start is not out of the realm of possibility.

Failing to go up this season would be a real blow. Playing for Wrexham comes with plenty of advantages, but some of Parkinson's best players may look to move up the leagues with other clubs if they cannot do it with the Dragons.

GettyThe MVP

Wrexham's spine is extremely strong for tier four, with goalkeeper Ben Foster, defenders Ben Tozer and Eoghan O'Connell, and attacking midfielder Elliot Lee among the very best in their positions in League Two.

Ahead of them sits the team's talisman – the free-scoring Paul Mullin. Mullin has been the poster boy of Reynolds and McElhenney's Wrexham revolution and his status as the owners' favourite is well deserved. Over the past three league seasons he has averaged an astonishing 0.74 goals per game, a spell that has included him winning the League Two Golden Boot with Cambridge United in 2021.

He has also barely missed a game during that time, making his pre-season injury all the more frustrating. Wrexham will be praying that Mullin's recovery is swift as they are far less fearsome force without him leading the line.