Five things we learned as Wrexham crashed out of the Carabao Cup with defeat to Sheffield United

Wrexham crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the first round stage as Sheffield United secured a 4-2 victory at Bramall Lane.

Wrexham were buoyed by their 3-2 win over Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday and threatened to cause an upset when Will Boyle opened the scoring in the first half.

Boyle slammed home an effort in the 25th minute but his joy was short-lived as fellow defender Auston Trusty equalised moments later, despite the best efforts of James Jones on the line.

The Blades then cantered in the second half to take the game away from the visitors with an own goal from Lewis Brunt and strikes from Louie Marsh and Anis Ben Slimane before Sebastian Revan grabbed a consolation.

Wrexham ended up losing 4-2 against Sheffield United but Phil Parkinson will have learned a lot about his team.

So, with that said, here are five things we learned as the Reds crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Sebastian Revan should now start

Revan played his full Wrexham debut against Championship opposition.

Of course, the Blades were much changed but they still fielded a side that featured the likes of Harry Souttar and Rhian Brewster with Revan holding his own.

The 21-year-old was a constant livewire down the left flank, flying up and down the pitch with his electric pace and grabbing a fine consolation goal late on.

It was a strike that showed his composure in the box, much like in pre-season against Vancouver Whitecaps and he now deserves to start against Bolton on Sunday.

Wrexham still need a new striker

Parkinson made 10 changes against Blades and two of those came at striker, where the Wrexham boss replaced Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher for Oliver Rathbone and Sam Dalby.

The Reds showcased their firepower in the Wycombe win however, against the Yorkshire side, Rathbone and Dalby failed to impose themselves on the pitch.

With Paul Mullin soon to return to action and plenty of options to choose from, not signing a striker isn’t the end of the world but when Michael Smith is available, Wrexham should rush to snap him up.

They need guaranteed goals up front and Smith, the scorer of 34 in his last two League One seasons, would provide that.

Ryan Barnett’s place at wing-back is safe

Luke Bolton replaced Ryan Barnett for this clash and the 24-year-old rarely had opportunities to whip crosses into the box, only managing one in his 79 minutes on the pitch.

Bolton is a solid operator but in our view, didn’t show enough to dislodge Barnett from his place in the starting XI.

The former Shrewsbury Town star played a starring role going forward against Wycombe, recording two key passes and placing three crosses accurately while in recent times, has become a bit of a cult hero at Wrexham.

Wrexham missed Elliot Lee’s attacking thrust

Elliot Lee was rested for this cup clash until Parkinson introduced him on the hour mark, with the 29-year-old instantly injecting some energy and quality into proceedings.

Known for his threat from midfield, Lee chased down lost causes, won tackles and fouls on numerous occasions.

Indeed, the game changed for the better when he was brought on as he grabbed the assist for Revan’s goal.

The West Ham academy graduate being out of the side just showed Parkinson how much his presence is missed.

Sam Dalby needs to be loaned out

Dalby was given a rare chance to lead the Wrexham front line in a competitive fixture. He would have been hoping to leave a positive impression on the pitch however, a 44% pass completion and zero shots on goal tell a different story.

The English striker did have a half chance in the first half but his touch in the box let him down and he was dispossessed before he could get a shot away.

Although Parkinson rates him highly, opportunities will be at a premium for the 24-year-old, especially when Mullin returns to action.

It means that Wrexham should look to loan him out to a League Two club as he doesn’t look as though he’s good enough for the third tier.