Wrexham's boost & Alexander in ideal place - Aaron McLean's EFL takeaways

Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker - and Final Score pundit - Aaron McLean gives his five takeaways following Saturday's action in the Championship, League One and League Two. Can Wrexham turn statement wins into something more consistent? Wrexham ended Southampton's five-match unbeaten run by winning 2-1 to claim their first home win of the season. Expectations remain high in north Wales, such is the public profile of the club and the investment into the squad but they have been an inconsistent prospect so far this campaign. McLean: "Do I think Wrexham are a candidate for automatic promotion? Probably not, but that win against Southampton will give them huge confidence. "That was only their second win of the season and they have probably come under pressure for the first time. Last season they were outstanding and, personally I think overachieved and the level of expectation has risen as a result but the team has not quite lived up to it. "To beat Southampton, as one of the in-form teams in the division, will do them and Phil Parkinson no end of good. "They need to be more clinical. You look at West Ham – 22 goals; Middlesbrough – 16 goals. You look at the top end of the pitch and they have the players who can find ways to kill games off. "Wrexham have drawn four games because they have not been able to kill games off but, if they are in the shake-up, I would not bet against their owners in January saying, 'right, let's go and get the missing piece of the puzzle'." How long can QPR stay under the promotion radar? Given Preston's predicament towards the foot of the Championship, QPR may well feel their 2-2 draw was two points dropped but they fought back from 2-0 down and Dennis Cirkin's red card in the 15th minute to claim a draw at Loftus Road. Julien Stephan's R's are fifth in the Championship table and remain firmly in the promotion mix. McLean: "I have been so impressed with QPR. I think they have been outstanding and they can genuinely stay around the play-off places. "Glen Kamara in the middle of the park is an outstanding player who I think could play in the Premier League. Their recruitment has been first class. "With the squad they have got, I really like the look of them this season. For a few years they have probably spent money in the wrong places but they have addressed that and can look forward to having a really competitive season. "Julien Stephan has done a hugely impressive job – the 7-1 defeat to Coventry [at the start of last season] has been the making of them – and I am really looking forward to seeing them over the rest of the season." Bradford the right club for Alexander Bradford City's 58-year wait for a win over Luton Town has enabled them to usurp Sheffield Wednesday at the top of League One. The Bantams have only scored seven goals in seven games but have conceded just four - the joint-best defensive record in the EFL. Predictably, given his history at Deepdale as a player, Graham Alexander has been linked with the vacancy at Preston North End. McLean: "Bradford are a massive club, you only have to listen to the noise they make at Valley Parade and the support they get and Graham Alexander is an outstanding manager who is at the right club for him to continue progressing. "This season, their bouncebackability has stood out. They won their first two games, then after back-to-back defeats you are looking at them and thinking, 'oh was it just a good start' but then they go and win three in a row, so even in adversity they can bounce back and respond in the right way. "Is their lack of goals sustainable for a promotion challenge? No, probably not but, at the moment, it hasn't needed to be because they have been so good defensively and so hard to beat. "And that's from front to back and when they do get their noses in front, they know how to see games out. "I expect their conversion rate to improve and Bobby Pointon is a fantastic young striker who I have tipped to be one of the best strikers in the division over the next few seasons." Slow and steady progress for Bromley in League One Bromley ended Huddersfield Town's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 victory at the Copperjax Community Stadium - their first since the opening day of the 2026-27 season. It has been a challenging first few weeks for the club in the third tier for the first time in their history, losing three games in a row and conceding 14 goals in the process but Andy Woodman's squad ha