Phil Parkinson has done a fantastic job with Wrexham but doesn’t really get any credit for it.
Wrexham appointed Phil Parkinson as manager in July 2021 to replace Dean Keates after he failed to secure a play-off place for the team during the new owner’s first year at the club.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds put a lot of faith in Parkinson to deliver their vision, with promotion out of the National League a must if the Hollywood duo wanted to turn the club profitable.
The Red Dragons finished second during the 56-year-old’s first season at the Racecourse Ground, losing in the play-off semi-finals.
Since then, though, it has been nothing but success for Parkinson in Wales.
Wrexham finally won promotion into the EFL after a 15-year hiatus in the 2022/23 campaign.
They then steamrolled League Two, finishing second to earn promotion into the third division at the first time of asking.
Now, in the current campaign, Parkinson has been able to guide the club on a four-game unbeaten run.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has an unwarranted reputation
Despite winning back-to-back promotions and getting Wrexham back into the EFL for the first time in well over a decade, Parkinson is never really praised.
This may have something to do with how the boss is perceived by those who are not fans of Wrexham.
Journalist Nathan Salt highlighted this issue on the Rob. Ryan. Red podcast recently when he called out the ‘lazy’ stereotypes around Parkinson.
He said: “The way he plays football isn’t just lump it long. I just feel there are loads of lazy stereotypes used against Phil Parkinson now.
“It’s really interesting to see this reception for him is still the same. Even after these achievements, he didn’t seem to get the credit externally.
“I think it’s set in stone I think someone in the EFL gods decided that Phil Parkinson doesn’t play good football, is a dinosaur a manager, isn’t a good fit for their club, and that’s great for us.
“I don’t think he’s going to get poached, I don’t think anyone is going to come in for him.
“I think if a Championship club hired him, you would probably get a lot of people saying ‘oh that’s a really uninspiring appointment, that’s really rubbish’.”
Why Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds won’t mind Phil Parkinson stereotype
Parkinson may not get the credit he deserves from non-Wrexham fans but as Salt suggests in his comments, that is great for Wrexham.
Had a side not owned by McElhenney and Reynolds gone from the National League to League One in the space of two seasons, that manager would no doubt have been recruited by a bigger side already.
However, the reputation Parkinson has somewhat bizarrely gained means the Hollywood owners can keep hold of the man who has brought them so much success without fearing he will leave soon.
Should Parkinson win promotion again in 2024/25, the wider opinion of him may change but for now, Wrexham will no doubt be glad he is not appreciated by the rest of the footballing world.