As things stand, Wrexham could be heading to the second tier next season with a third-successive promotion in sight. But, where do they go from there?
Phil Parkinson has done a terrific job since taking over at Wrexham, and while the money pumped into the club by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has certainly helped, no one can doubt the manager’s input.
The Red Dragons have jumped from the National League to the upper echelons of League One in just three seasons, and with ten games to go, there’s a very real chance they will be playing in the Championship next season.
In fact, supercomputers and experts predict Wrexham will finish second this term, which would be a huge achievement for all involved. But, is there trouble ahead?
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Phil Parkinson’s record in the Championship does not make for happy reading
Parkinson celebrated 1,000 games in management earlier this year, which is simply an astounding milestone. He’s a brilliant manager, he really is, but when you dig deeper into his career, there is one concern: Can he actually do it at Championship level?
Across 141 games in the second tier with both Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic, Parkinson has only been able to rack up 26 victories, with 37 draws and 78 defeats. That’s a win percentage of just 18%, or a points-per-game (PPG) average of 0.82 across his time in the division.
| Competition | Matches | W | D | L | Points | PPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League One | 422 | 185 | 126 | 111 | 681 | 1.61 |
| Championship | 141 | 26 | 37 | 78 | 115 | 0.82 |
| League Two | 133 | 55 | 38 | 40 | 203 | 1.53 |
| National League | 90 | 60 | 19 | 11 | 199 | 2.21 |
| Second Division (- 03/04) | 60 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 87 | 1.45 |
| League One Play-Offs | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0.25 |
| League Two Play-Offs | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2.00 |
| National League Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Compare that to Parkinson’s pedigree in League One, and there’s a vast difference. His consistency across the 422 games at this level has produced a PPG average of roughly double his return in the Championship.
Granted, he was coaching two teams that were struggling in the Championship, but how much of that was down to the club itself and how much was down to Parkinson being slightly out of his depth?
Only time will tell, and hopefully Parkinson can prove us wrong.
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Does Phil Parkinson have what it takes to continue Wrexham progress in the Championship?
Obviously, Wrexham still need to get across the line and secure that all-important promotion this season. With ten games left, the race is just about in their hands — win their remaining games, and score plenty of goals, and the Red Dragons will rise again.
Everyone is rooting for them to write this next chapter of the Hollywood fairytale (apart from rival fans, of course) and it will be fascinating to see how Wrexham fare in the Championship.
| Pos | Team | Played | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Birmingham City | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 35 | 83 |
| 2 | Wrexham | 37 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 71 |
| 3 | Wycombe Wanderers | 36 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 27 | 68 |
| 4 | Charlton Athletic | 37 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 66 |
| 5 | Stockport County | 37 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 65 |
| 6 | Huddersfield Town | 37 | 18 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 61 |
Parkinson’s man-management skills are top drawer, and there’s no doubt he can motivate his team for the big occasions. But, his tactics have taken a battering at times this season, with Wrexham fans unhappy about his predictable, one-dimensional approach.
It has to be said, Parkinson does favour an old school style of football most of the time, with the long ball, direct approach usually the go-to for the Red Dragons. It works a lot of the time, too, but when it doesn’t it can be incredibly frustrating.
In the Championship, that rigidness and reluctance to adapt will quickly get found out, and that is where Parkinson could find himself in a bit of trouble.
But, we know that the Wrexham owners are likely to invest aggressively if they make it to the Championship next season. With a refresh of the squad and fresh blood coming in, Parkinson would be well-equipped to establish Wrexham in the second tier.
Beyond that, though, whether Parkinson can lead Wrexham to the dizzying heights of the Premier League remains to be seen. Sadly, that would likely be one step too far for the Football League veteran.