Patience required at Wrexham amid period of adjustment for Phil Parkinson, players and fans

Add as preferred source on Google

Wrexham have endured a tricky start to the season, but everybody around the club needs some patience right now.

Make no mistake, Wrexham’s 3-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers last weekend was a major disappointment.

Wrexham couldn’t build on beating Millwall before the international break and were exposed defensively against the R’s.

Phil Parkinson’s future has been questioned, but if we know anything about Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, it’s that there will be no knee-jerk reactions.

• READ MORE: Who is Rob McElhenney? Profile, movies, TV shows, wife and more

Phil Parkinson and Wrexham players require some patience

Sadly, the knives were always going to come out for Parkinson if Wrexham made a slow start to the season.

Not from Wrexham fans, it must be said; there is largely nothing but respect from supporters after three promotions in a row.

Rival fans often love to see Wrexham lose, though, and they have been waiting to point to Parkinson’s patchy Championship record over the years.

The reality is that Wrexham have played just five games, and defeats to Southampton and West Bromwich Albion are no great shame.

Yes, the home results against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR were disappointing, but a win away at Millwall should not be brushed over.

The Championship is a famously tight league, and there are going to be tough spells across the season for most teams.

Wrexham’s tricky period coming at the start of the season is little surprise, as Parkinson is still bedding in a whopping 13 summer signings.

If you look back at windows past, Parkinson has never signed more players in one summer window at Wrexham.

10 signings arrived in Parkinson’s first summer, before seven arrived in 2022, five joined in 2023, and eight were snapped up last summer.

13 new signings means Parkinson has overhauled his Wrexham squad, and while quickly bedding in that many new signings may work on FC or Football Manager, real life is a little different.

Parkinson is still learning about his new players, understanding their personalities as well as their qualities on the pitch, which positions to play them in, and which players mesh well together.

Similarly, those new signings are also learning about their new teammates as well as the methods of a new manager, so this isn’t an easy period for anybody.

Parkinson believes Wrexham will come through this period and improve soon, and why not believe him? ‘Parky’ certainly hasn’t led Wrexham far wrong so far.

Just look at last season: Ollie Rathbone endured a slow start and took a while to land a starting role in the Wrexham side. By the end of the season, he was in Player of the Season contention.

That just goes to show that some players need more time to settle in, and if the summer additions begin meshing together soon, Wrexham have more than enough proven Championship quality to string some real results together.

• READ MORE: Who is Ryan Reynolds? Profile, Films, TV Shows, Wife and Children

Wrexham fans are also adjusting after busy summer

One key factor we cannot overlook is the impact of the fans.

The STōK Cae Ras has been a horrible place for away teams to visit in recent years, but Wrexham have claimed just one point in three home games this season.

It isn’t just Parkinson and his squad adjusting right now, as Wrexham fans are also experiencing a major change.

Supporters have been used to supporting the likes of Eoghan O’Connell, Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer in recent years.

All three of those players have gone, as have Thomas O’Connor, Jacob Mendy, Steven Fletcher, Jack Marriott, Mark Howard,

Many of Wrexham’s promotion heroes have departed, and 13 new faces have arrived to take their place.

Just as players are still learning their surroundings, Wrexham fans are now getting to know a number of new faces; established chants for former players have gone, and that impacts the atmosphere at the STōK Cae Ras.

Chants will emerge for those new players soon enough, but the opening stages of this season were always going to be a period of adjustment; for Parkinson, for the players, and for the fans.

Nothing is won or lost after five games, and if the 2023-24 League Two campaign showed us anything, it’s that Parkinson can quickly turn a tough start into a successful season.

Mac and Reynolds won’t be panicking at this stage, and Wrexham should benefit from some patience and familiarity as the season progresses.