Forest Green Rovers boss Steve Cotterill has delivered his verdict on Wrexham ahead of tonight’s clash.
Wrexham are on the road for another midweek clash tonight; it’s becoming quite the occurrence isn’t it?
Two weeks ago it was a win at Sutton United, last week it was a draw at Milton Keynes Dons.
We are now getting used to these midweek trips and this one feels like a must-win.
Wrexham lost at Gillingham on Saturday and really need to get back to winning ways tonight with a relegation-threatened Forest Green Rovers side desperate for points.
Steve Cotterill on Wrexham
This certainly won’t be an easy game with Forest Green fighting for their lives in the relegation zone.
Wrexham must find a killer instinct in front of goal and the game pits two battle-hardened EFL managers against each other.
Phil Parkinson will be in the Wrexham dugout with Steve Cotterill across from him in the Forest Green dugout.
The pair have managed nearly 2000 games in English football between them, so this is a real battle between two experienced heads.
Cotterill has now offered his verdict on Parkinson and Wrexham whilst speaking to Forest Green’s official website.
Cotterill believes that Wrexham’s ‘story’ is a positive one, presumably pointing towards the rise under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
Wrexham’s profile has risen exponentially since their takeover and Cotterill has seemingly been impressed.
Cotterill added that he gets on well with Parkinson and can’t wait to battle him and a ‘good squad’ he has built at Wrexham.
“I think the Wrexham story is a good one,” said Cotterill. “I get on well with Phil Parkinson and his assistant [Steve Parkin] and I’m looking to seeing them both on Tuesday.”
“They have a great football man in charge in Phil. He’s put a good squad together and we’ll be well prepared as we can be for the challenge. We’re looking forward to the game,” he added.
Parkinson has managed against Cotterill four times, with their first meeting coming way back in 2006.
A potentially worrying statistic is that Parkinson has never managed to secure a victory against Cotterill.
Their first clash ended in a 2-0 win for Cotterill’s Burnley against Parkinson’s Hull City.
Parkinson then secured two draws as Bradford City boss against Cotterill’s Bristol City, before falling to a 6-0 defeat to the Robins and Cotterill in 2015.
It’s nearly nine years since the pair last did battle and Parkinson will be desperate to claim all three points this evening with Wrexham needing to get back on track.