Wrexham continue to defy the odds as the Red Dragons are flying high in third place in League One right now, but Phil Parkinson is not resting on his laurels.
After finally escaping the National League, Wrexham then went and gained promotion from League Two at the first time of asking, too.
Phil Parkinson has done an incredible job at building his Wrexham squad, and after 20 games this season, his team are right in the hunt for yet another promotion.
Wrexham have huge goals for the future, of course, and making it to the Championship this year would be an incredible feat, but Parkinson isn’t so sure about the promotion race.
Phil Parkinson believes League One promotion race is wide open
Wrexham are currently third in the table, with 41 points from 20 games. Ahead of them, Birmingham City have 42 points from 18 matches, while top of the league Wycombe are just in front with 43 points from 19 games.
Fourth-placed Huddersfield have played a game less than Wrexham, but are still five points away. This gap has led some to suggest a three-way race for promotion has already emerged.
| Position | Team | Games played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wycombe | 19 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 43 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 42 |
| 3 | Wrexham | 20 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 41 |
| 4 | Huddersfield | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 36 |
| 5 | Stockport | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 33 |
| 6 | Reading | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 31 |
Parkinson doesn’t agree, though, as he told The Leader: “We’re in a very good position. Someone said to me that it looks like three teams. I wish it was a three-horse race but I really don’t see it like that.
“The minute you hear managers start dismissing other teams, it’s a great motivational factor for the teams below. We’re not really concentrating on anyone else, we are just concentrating on ourselves and focussing on this Christmas period.”
While Wrexham are naturally striving to seal one of those top two spots that will lead them to the Championship, Parkinson admitted he is concerned about the level of quality in League One.
He added: “The strength in depth in this division, there’s a lot of teams who will still have an eye on those top two positions.
“So, we’ve got to work really hard in terms of our analysis of the last game and the one coming up, the training and everything, and just keep doing what we’ve got to do, and then we’ll see whether that’s enough come the end of the season.”
Wrexham may have to settle for play-off spot, but that’s still an incredible achievement
The fact that Wrexham are even in this promotion race is almost unbelievable in itself. To get back-to-back promotions from the National League and then League Two was so impressive, but the team has raised its levels once again this year.
It’s testament to the manner in which Wrexham have relentlessly improved the squad every season, refusing to let sentiment get in the way of the important decisions.
As it stands, though, Wrexham are at a disadvantage in the promotion race, as they have played more games than their rivals. Perhaps, automatic promotion this year will be a step too far for the Welsh outfit.
Still, there would be no shame in finishing in the play-offs this season in the club’s first year back in the third tier. And, as we know, anything can happen in the chaotic world of the play-offs.