Wrexham have made a great start to life in League One and remain unbeaten after the first four games of the new campaign.
Phil Parkinson masterminded back-to-back promotions for Wrexham and already has fans dreaming of another one.
Wrexham have started the League One campaign in style, claiming three wins from four in an unbeaten opening.
Wins over Wycombe Wanderers, Reading and Peterborough United have left Wrexham second in the League One table.
Wrexham also drew at Bolton Wanderers and have kept three clean sheets in a row, so this has been quite the start.
Another promotion would be a big ask for Wrexham but Parkinson and co deserve huge praise for recent results.
EFL pundit praises Wrexham
Wrexham’s displays have been attracting praise and Gregor Robertson has now joined in.
The former Rotherham United, Chesterfield and Grimsby Town left back is now a pundit specialising in EFL action.
Robertson has now told EFL Extra for The Times that he thinks there is ‘a lot to like’ about Wrexham on the pitch under Parkinson.
Robertson highlighted that Wrexham’s run of three clean sheets in a row is ‘hugely impressive’, especially considering that they have come against Bolton, Reading and Peterborough.
The Scot added that Wrexham are ‘absolutely brilliant’ at set-pieces and are showing really gritty traits against proven League One teams.
Robertson added that Parkinson’s battling approach has been a great fit for Wrexham as a city but does wonder if more attractive football may be demanded down the line.
“There’s a lot to like on the pitch,” said Robertson. “There’s no two ways about that. Three clean sheets in a row against Bolton, Reading and Peterborough… that is hugely impressive, particularly for a promoted team. They’re three of the strongest teams in the league, I think.
“The thing about it too, is that there is no flashiness on the pitch; they’re an effective team. They had 30% of the ball in this game, but they had more shots, their xG was higher, they deserved to win the game. Mullin came on and could have scored, they had other chances. They’re bringing Mullin and Fletcher off the bench, we do have to say that, clearly, they’re a very well-backed team.”
“They’re great at set-pieces, absolutely brilliant at set-pieces. For all the glitz and glamour off the pitch, they’re a pretty dogged, kind of effective, gritty team on it and that’s Phil Parkinson’s fingerprints all over. For me, the bigger vision and interesting thing is… they’ll go again, no doubt, it might not be this season, but they will be close, it’s at what point do they want something more on the pitch?
“It’s all fit brilliantly just now too, because the whole story is about this former mining town, down on its luck and how it’s been reinvigorated and the fight and the passion and the industry on the pitch is mirroring that very well. There will come a point where you will need something more than that to keep progressing, but that is all very far off in the future,” he added.
Host ‘jealous’ of Wrexham’s George Dobson deal
Robertson added some praise for Elliot Lee too, suggesting that the Wrexham playmaker is ‘standing out’ at League One level.
The pundit feels that Lee has never really lived up to his potential at other clubs but is now thriving in a third different vision for Wrexham.
“Elliot Lee still seems to be standing out at this level, but we’ve been saying that for a while now. You feel like he’s someone who has never really flourished to the extend he should have done at other clubs and he’s doing it here,” said Robertson.
There was also some praise – no matter how begrudging it may have been – from reporter and podcast host Tom Clarke.
Clarke – a Lincoln City fan – admitted that he isn’t a particular fan of the Wrexham project.
Clarke seemingly isn’t buying the motivations of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, but did offer praise for new signing George Dobson.
The midfielder has impressed since arriving at Wrexham and Clarke admitted that he is ‘jealous’ that Dobson plays for Wrexham rather than Lincoln.
“I just can’t get on board, I just don’t believe it all,” said Clarke. “I think it’s all for a TV show. I don’t mind new ownership, I don’t mind enthusiasm, I just don’t fully buy into it. I’m delighted for the Wrexham fans, every club needs money, every clubs needs new signings to get up the divisions, there’s just something about it.”
“We had this argument when they got promoted, I can’t remember if it was from the Conference or not, and there was pictures of Reynolds and Rob McElhenney wearing medals with the trophy and you’re like ‘why are you wearing a medal mate?’, I still want to know whether they kept them! Did they get medals? Because I’m pretty sure Lincoln’s owners didn’t get medals when we went up from the National League. I’m still annoyed about it.
“I could say something nice about George Dobson in midfield, what a great signing I think that is from Charlton. A very good player, jealous that we’ve not got him – there you go, that was quite nice,” he added.
This is the nature of the beast for Wrexham; some people love it and buy into the Wrexham project from afar, some aren’t quite as enthusiastic.
Wrexham fans are used to it now and will understand that it just comes with the territory of having Hollywood owners in charge of the club.
Parkinson, Lee and Dobson certainly deserve the praise coming their way though and Wrexham will hope to keep this form going against Shrewsbury Town this weekend.