Phil Parkinson celebrated 1,000 games in management at the weekend, and Wrexham player Ryan Barnett has been sharing the love for his gaffer, despite his angry team talks.
The whole Wrexham project has largely hinged on Phil Parkinson’s impeccable management of the team, with the experienced coach leading the Red Dragons from the National League to the upper echelons of League One now.
Parkinson marked his 1,000th game as a manager by defeating Peterborough on Saturday afternoon, with his ‘powerful team’ proving to be too much for the Posh.
Ryan Barnett was absent for the game, but took time to discuss the methods of his manager and why Parkinson’s approach to team talks is so effective.
- READ MORE: Wrexham player ratings vs Peterborough United, Steven Fletcher is magic and several players get 7/10
Phil Parkinson’s angry team talks are all for the good of the team
Speaking to The Athletic as part of a mass celebration of Parkinson’s landmark, Ryan Barnett was asked about Parkinson’s infamous angry team talks, and while he admits they’re something he fears, he knows the Wrexham manager does it all with the best intentions.
He said: “I have [experienced it] a few times, yes. It’s not great and I’m hoping to avoid it for the rest of the season, but it’s all done so honestly that you take it. What he’s saying is said with love. He’s not being mean to you, he just wants the best for you and the team.”
Luckily, with Wrexham’s current form — especially that incredible unbeaten run at the Racecourse Ground — Parkinson’s tirades against his team have likely been a lot less frequent this season.
- READ MORE: Wrexham fans all in agreement about Ollie Palmer after Peterborough United – one thing is obvious
Tough love has served Wrexham well so far, so why change now?
While Parkinson highlighted ‘togetherness’ as the key to Wrexham’s success, you can’t deny that a spot of tough love every now and again is the way forward.
Wrexham are now famous for their resilience and their ability to fight back against the odds and grind out wins, especially in the dying moments of games. There’s no way any of that would happen, at least not as frequently, were it not for the influence of Parkinson’s team talks.
It’s a staple of his management style, and as we’ve seen from watching Welcome to Wrexham, those motivational speeches Parkinson delivers are not only stirring, but are absolutely warranted, too.
To be fair, after 1,000 games in management, there’s no way Parkinson would change now, and surely no one at Wrexham would want him to be any different.