It was a great sadness that there was no James McClean for us on Saturday.
He had two games left to play in order to avoid being suspended. He survived the Morecambe game without incident, but in the second half of the Harrogate game, he finally broke and earned his punishment in style by rugby tackling a player to thwart a breakaway.
It was unfortunate that he wasn’t present since the Tranmere derby is an intense match, and there isn’t a player more qualified to translate the fervor of the crowd onto the field.
Doesn’t McClean’s midfield position feel a little bit like a cheat code?
He started the season as a left wing defender and contributed greatly, but since moving into the middle, he has been outstanding.
The delighted response we got when we signed him said it all. This was a player that was performing consistently in a higher division the previous season, but who might be in his mid-thirties. The fact that Wigan supporters were devastated by his departure says a lot.
He brought with him the obvious: an incredible amount of energy, physical strength, a fantastic left foot, and a high level of game reading skill. In addition, he provides presence, which is quite useful.
Although presence is an elusive quality, McClean undoubtedly possesses it in abundance. Even if he hasn’t exactly had a good game this season, he isn’t often substituted, and that’s something I don’t want. It gives you hope that he is about to do something that will have a significant impact on the game just by having him there.
Given his unwavering devotion to each individual battle on the field, I venture to guess that his opponents are eager to see him go.
He is a player who is kind of all or nothing. Sometimes his fearless devotion to the tackle causes him to enter too soon and get beaten. His set pieces are ripped in with such ominous aim that they become misdirected if they miss the mark. However, there is no way to stop them once they reach their destination.
He fits Wrexham AFC’s fearless, all-in style in that sense. Our backing is strong; the mood intense. At many Premier League stadiums, the atmosphere is artificial and constructed; at Stok Cae Ras, however, nature reigns supreme.
It’s the ideal setting for McClean, a football player who finds strength in his teammates and expresses his feelings so well that they take precedence over his undeniable skill. He embodies every passionate aspect of Wrexham.
On the other hand, McClean gets his energy from other people’s bad energy and thrives off it.
He looks like Gary Bennett (down below). His detractors enjoyed picking on him, and he took it well, becoming even more determined. Driven by their rage, he wanted to hurl their insults back in their faces.
I remember very well a Crewe game when he received a lot of abuse from the home crowd. Ironically, there was a clear association between the decrease in abuse and the goals he scored.
McClean can be seen as the pinnacle of what it means to be a supporter on the field. Everybody has had those moments when they wish their team would exert just a little bit more pressure, exert a little bit more effort, and give it their all.
Though, to be honest, I think every member of the current team demonstrates that, McClean takes it very seriously.
Because of this, it was unfortunate that he was unable to attend the Tranmere match, which is as unadulterated as football gets. Maybe he would have given that extra little to break through Rovers’ unyielding defense; he would have approached every tackle as though he had been a Wrexham supporter his entire life.
