The game between Wrexham and West Brom this weekend will see two managers of varying experiences go head-to-head.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has been around the block. He’s been in charge of Wrexham for three seasons now, but has been a manager for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, West Brom manager Ryan Mason has only overseen two games as a manager, with West Brom being his first job. The former Spurs player retired in 2018 and then later joined the club as a coach.
In his first game as Baggies boss, Mason oversaw a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers before West Brom lost against Derby County in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Meanwhile, Wrexham lost their opening Championship game against Southampton in dramatic style, before coming from behind to beat Hull City in midweek in the Carabao Cup in equally dramatic style.
This weekend, Wrexham play their first home league match of the season in what will be a packed out Racecourse.
- READ MORE: EFL expert gives Wrexham vs West Brom score prediction, Dragons have ‘the element of surprise’
Ryan Mason hails Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson
Parkinson and Wrexham have both earned huge praise for what they’ve achieved in the last few years. Last season, Wrexham achieved a third-straight promotion after finishing second in League One behind Birmingham City. And speaking ahead of the weekend, Mason has given his verdict on Parkinson and the job he’s done in North Wales.
Mason spoke positively of the Dragons hero, saying: “Phil Parkinson has done an incredible job there. Everyone speaks about everything off the pitch, but the reality is what they’ve done on the pitch is super impressive.
“They’ve built a real togetherness and a real belief in the club. To go through the leagues in the nature they have is really not easy. It’s not an easy thing to do, to win games of football consistently as you go up the pyramid. That’s super challenging and they’ve done an amazing job.
“Any game in the Championship is tough and you have to earn a win. We respect them, but we need to go there with the intent to impose ourselves on the game.”
- READ MORE: EFL expert gives Wrexham vs West Brom score prediction, Dragons have ‘the element of surprise’
Phil Parkinson’s record managing in the Championship
As a manager, Parkinson has overseen more than 1000 games, but as a championship manager he’s only overseen 141 and his win rate certainly isn’t all that impressive. Of those 141 games, Parkinson has won 26 of those, which is 18.4%, compared to a career win rate of 41% and a win rate of 44%.
| Stat | League One | Championship | Career |
| Games | 431 | 141 | 863 |
| Wins | 191 | 26 | 357 |
| Draws | 129 | 37 | 242 |
| Losses | 111 | 78 | 264 |
| Win rate | 44% | 18.4% | 41% |
But Parkinson tackles the Championship this time round with a strong Wrexham side, boosted by the recent £10m signing of Nathan Broadhead.
Armed with a strong side and ambitious owners, Parkinson could well surprise everyone and prove himself as a Championship manager this season, and a win over West Brom on Saturday would be the perfect way to get the ball rolling.
The game kicks off at 12:30pm on Saturday.