Phil Parkinson has conceded Wrexham still require further reinforcements to cope with the demands of the Championship.
After two games and two defeats, the Wrexham manager says the club are actively exploring options in the final stretch of the transfer window.
The Dragons have already recruited heavily, bringing in nine players during a busy summer, but a combination of injuries and uncertainty around departures means the squad remains stretched.
Parkinson believes fresh faces are needed to complement his current group, particularly after back-to-back defeats left them rooted to the foot of the table.
"We're looking across the board. We probably do need a couple more players, we're looking at that," Parkinson said.
"It's ongoing, it's obviously busy for all managers and clubs at the moment when you're preparing for games and looking to improve the squad.
"The lads we've brought in at the moment are really good and I'm pleased with the way they've settled in."
Among those unavailable at the weekend were Liberato Cacace, sidelined with a hamstring strain, and striker Josh Windass, who lasted only half an hour before limping off against West Bromwich Albion.
"I haven't spoken to the physio yet, I'll speak to Kev [Kevin Mulholland] in a minute," Parkinson admitted, regarding Windass’s injury.
"When a player pulls up like that, it's not good."
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Andy Cannon, Ollie Rathbone, George Thomason and Jay Rodriguez have yet to feature this term due to fitness problems, while Jacob Mendy and Ollie Palmer could still depart before the transfer window shuts on 1 September.
That growing injury list exposed Wrexham’s lack of depth as they suffered a second straight defeat, losing 3-2 to West Brom in front of co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the Stok Cae Ras.
Having fallen late at Southampton a week earlier, Parkinson was again left ruing defensive lapses.
"The goals we conceded today were too soft, it's as simple as that," he admitted.
"We've just handed them goals today by not dealing with the situation. Football never changes, it's about what happens in and around the boxes."
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Lewis O’Brien had briefly cancelled out Isaac Price’s opener, but further strikes from Jed Wallace and Price again proved decisive despite Sam Smith’s late reply.
Midfielder George Dobson, who impressed despite the defeat, agreed with his manager’s assessment, pointing to the harsh lessons of the Championship.
"It just showed the quality of the level - if you don't take your chances, you do get punished," he said.
"It's definitely not a panic stations type situation but we know there's a couple of things we need to be a bit better at.
"It's definitely the fine margins of being punished. Any sort of mistake or not doing your job quite right seems to get punished."
Dobson insists there is enough belief within the camp to turn things around, especially given the side’s attacking quality.
"I'm not sure how many shots we had but I feel like we looked like scoring," he continued.
"We've just got to get the solid base back of getting clean sheets and not conceding too many chances and I'm sure the results will turn because the character of the group is so strong. It's a great learning curve for us."
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While defeats have highlighted weaknesses, there were also positives.
Kieffer Moore, who had been forced off against Southampton, came through 90 minutes leading the line.
"Kieffer did well. I was thinking 70 minutes would be enough for him after the week he's had but he got through the game fine," Parkinson noted.
"He's going to be a big player for us and we need to get him some training this week.
“When you've come in late to the club and you've had a week without being on the training ground, we need now to get him back in on Monday morning."
Cacace, meanwhile, was absent entirely, with Parkinson refusing to risk the New Zealand international.
"Libby had a bit of tightness in his hamstring. We weren't going to risk him," he explained.
As the transfer deadline approaches, Parkinson knows the step up in quality from League One means Wrexham still need reinforcements to avoid being left short in a grueling campaign.
With key players out injured and two defeats from two, the manager is under no illusions about the scale of the task ahead.
The urgency to strengthen is clear, even after a summer of heavy investment.
Ryan Hardie, Danny Ward, Cacace, Moore, Nathan Broadhead, Windass, Conor Coady, O’Brien and Thomason all arrived in recent months, but Parkinson’s call for “a couple more players” suggests he feels the squad is still incomplete.
With Championship football proving unforgiving and Wrexham punished for defensive lapses in both games so far, the next fortnight could prove decisive in shaping their season.
