The likelihood of Wrexham playing in the Championship next season just increased massively after this weekend’s results, and a lot of praise needs to go to Phil Parkinson for that.
Wrexham cruised to a 3-0 win over Burton Albion at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday lunchtime. After a slow start to the game, a second half flurry of goals from Steven Fletcher, Sam Smith, and Jack Marriott sealed a crucial three points for the Red Dragons.
The win, twinned with Wycombe’s defeat at Reading, leaves Wrexham six points clear in second place, though Mike Dodds’ side do have a game in hand.
Still, it would now take a dramatic downturn in form for Phil Parkinson’s men to be denied a third-successive promotion. And, if there’s one thing we learned from the win over Burton, it’s that Parkinson probably deserves more credit than he gets.
Wrexham claim another 80-point haul under Phil Parkinson
With 41 games now done and dusted for Wrexham, the Red Dragons have accrued 81 points. It’s not unreasonable to think that just two, maybe three more wins will be enough to carry them to the Championship.
But, whatever happens now, Parkinson has ticked off another big record, as he and Wrexham have amassed 80 or more points for the fourth season in a row. It’s not something he has achieved every year he’s been with Wrexham.
In fact, Parkinson’s men could end up with their second-highest points haul under Parkinson this year, with the 88 points they achieved in 2021/22 and in League Two in 2023/24 very much in sight now.
Still, they are some way off the 111 points tally recorded during the title-winning campaign in the National League.
Wrexham may be in a strong position right now, but Parkinson kept his players focused on the task at hand in his post-match team talk this weekend, so we can be sure that they will fight tooth and nail to get as many points as possible and get the job done.
The way Wrexham and Phil Parkinson have evolved is very impressive
The fact that Wrexham look to be on course to go up again is simply incredible. Getting back-to-back-to-back promotions is not only history in the making, but it’s testament to the way this football club has evolved so quickly year on year.
Parkinson and the Wrexham chiefs have remained pragmatic and not allowed sentiment to cloud their judgement when it comes to recruitment and letting players leave, which has massively helped them progress up the football ladder.
But, it’s not just about getting the right players; Parkinson has made this Wrexham squad tick despite facing fresh challenges and increasingly better teams each season. It says a lot that the Red Dragons have not looked out of place in League One for a second.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Birmingham | 39 | 28 | 8 | 3 | 71 | 28 | 43 | 92 |
| 2 | Wrexham | 41 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 32 | 27 | 81 |
| 3 | Wycombe | 40 | 21 | 12 | 7 | 65 | 37 | 28 | 75 |
| 4 | Stockport | 41 | 21 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 36 | 24 | 74 |
| 5 | Charlton | 41 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 57 | 38 | 19 | 73 |
| 6 | Bolton | 40 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 62 | 57 | 5 | 66 |
In fact, Wrexham players are dominating the division in a number of key metrics, including keeping clean sheets. It’s impressive, really, that this side have gone from simply outscoring opposition in League Two and the National League, to now grinding out results and keeping things tight at the back.
Now, it will be fascinating to see whether Parkinson’s record in the Championship will rear its head again next season and stunt the progress of this team, or whether he himself can evolve, too.