When addressing the media in his post-match press conference, Phil Parkinson cut a bewildered figure following Wrexham’s loss to Birmingham City.

Two moments of defensive sloppiness cost the Red Dragons dearly as they were beaten 2-1 by Chris Davies’ men at the Racecourse Ground.

Central defender Phil Neumann scored a pair of headers for the visitors, with Parkinson boldly stating they were “two of the softest goals” conceded in his reign as Wrexham manager, which began in 2021.

Captain Dom Hyam was equally dejected in the aftermath of the contest.

“You just can’t give any team at any level simple goals like that,” said the centre-back.

“We pride ourselves on being hard to beat and hard to score against.

“We were quite easy to score against tonight, frankly, and they didn’t really have to work for their goals, which is unlike us – which is what hurts.”

Defeat by the Blues means Wrexham are winless and without a clean sheet in four matches across all competitions so far this season.

So what exactly is the problem for Wrexham defensively?

Unfortunately from their perspective, their struggles at the back were an issue last term.

Only five Championship sides conceded more than the 65 league goals Parkinson’s men let in last term. Two of those teams – Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City – were relegated.

Parkinson’s men also conceded two or more goals in 22 of their 46 league games, and they did so for the first time this season in the defeat by Birmingham.

When it comes to defensive errors leading to a shot, only six sides last season made more than Wrexham’s 29, while Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City and Swansea City were the only teams to face more than the 203 attempts on target the Red Dragons faced.

There were mitigating circumstances last time out, including the fact Wrexham had just come up from League One on the back of a third successive promotion.

A variety of defensive combinations were utilised as they sought to blend in new faces and find the right formula to cope with the improved physicality and quality in the second tier.

But it has been far more settled this term, with Zak Vyner, Hyam and Callum Doyle – Wrexham’s goal scorer in the loss to Birmingham – starting as the back three in all four of the Red Dragons’ game so far this season.

Parkinson even suggested transfer talk may have affected some of his players against Birmingham – particularly in the opening half.

“We will be endeavour to improve what we’ve got, but I think, a bit of uncertainty in the camp, players coming in, rumours of this and that,” Parkinson said.

“Has that affected us? I don’t know. It looked like it in the first half tonight because I just wanted to see more belief in us.”

Wrexham will be searching for answers ahead of their return to action at Millwall on Wednesday night (19:45 BST).

Defender Hyam says Wrexham may need to find a “horrible” streak to help rectify things at the back.

“We’re a talented group in there, we need to give ourselves a solid base to work off and that starts at the back,” added the Scotland centre-back.

“Us as defenders need to pride ourselves on being more solid at the back and just defending the goal.

“When we need to be, we need to be a bit horrible, we weren’t quite that tonight so that’s what it needs to be.”