Wrexham AFC: EFL pundit’s Phil Parkinson claims are badly wrong - View | OneFootball

Shortly after Wrexham's promotion from League Two was confirmed last weekend, a loud chorus burst out from fans gathered on the pitch in tribute to manager Phil Parkinson.

After flares were let off and players were hoisted onto supporters' shoulders, attention soon turned to the man who led them into League One at the first time of asking, as they sang: “We've got super Phil Parky, he knows exactly what we need.”

It's praise which is well-deserved for the 56-year-old after guiding the club to back-to-back promotions for the first time in its 159-year history.

However, even with the Red Dragons on the cusp of glory, questions were being asked just days earlier over how long his time at the Racecourse would last.

The issue was raised by EFL pundit and former Swindon Town striker Sam Parkin during a discussion on the North Wales side.

Parkin: Wrexham must "play a bit more football"

Speaking on the WhatTheEFL?! podcast, Parkin said: “I’m not for one minute suggesting that they get rid of Phil Parkinson now, but there will come a time, and whether that is when they make it to the Championship.

“I think he seems like a really good guy; I’ve got numerous friends who have played with him and played for him, and he was absolutely the right appointment for these few seasons, as they tried to rise out of the National League and get into League One and beyond.

“But there will come a time when they try to play a bit more football, I’m sure.”

In isolation, it might not seem like the most scathing criticism in the world, but the perception that Wrexham will reach a glass ceiling under Parkinson is one which has reared its head repeatedly since he took the helm in July 2021.

Perhaps it's because he arrived off the back of an unsuccessful time at Sunderland in League One where, as per Roker Report, supporters didn't seem too sad to see him leave.

Further evidence of this reluctance to pay him his dues can be seen in the social media posts of another EFL pundit in Gabriel Sutton.

Posting previously on X, Sutton said: “I don’t rate Phil Parkinson and feel his style will hold Wrexham back.”

A month before that, comparing him to the then Notts County manager, he wrote: “Luke Williams wipes the floor with Phil Parkinson tactically.”

The latter tweet perhaps gets to the heart of the issue. Is Parkinson not rated as highly by pundits as he's not a young, progressive manager?

The former Reading player started his managerial career some time ago in 2003 with Colchester United.

During his time at Wrexham and elsewhere, he has been accused of being too rigid in his tactics, and playing a very direct brand of football.

However, ironically, it was Parkinson who showed other teams how to beat Notts and exploit their high-line under Williams in a decisive 3-2 victory at the Racecourse during the club's National League title-winning campaign.

It's a feat he repeated in League Two with a 2-0 win at Meadow Lane in October, before Williams departed for Swansea City.

The supposed reliance on Ben Tozer's long throw to create chances has also been used as a charge against Wrexham and Parkinson in the past, but this has been over-stated.

While sticking to the same formation, his side has evolved in League Two, with players who are comfortable on the ball in every department.

In particular, all three of his favoured centre-backs in Eoghan O'Connell, Tom O'Connor and Max Cleworth are highly capable of bringing the ball forward and passing out of defence.

This has resulted in Tozer, the influential club captain, gradually being phased out of the starting XI.

Parkinson's side aren't always going to dominate possession, but they are intelligent in how they use the ball and not just reliant on set pieces and long balls to score.

Perhaps the best example of this was their fantastic counter-attack away at Grimsby Town, which was capped off by a goal from Andy Cannon.

Parkinson's spending power is another stick used to detract from his achievements.

Yes, he's clearly well-backed by the club's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. However, he has been very methodical in his search for players, often biding his time to secure his main targets.

For example, George Evans was signed from Millwall on transfer deadline day last summer and has been a key figure in a holding midfield role.

O'Connell: "You want to run through a brick wall for him"

If you want to get the true measure of Parkinson, then it's best to listen to those who work with him closely.

Eoghan O'Connell has been a lynchpin at the back for the Red Dragons this season and has nothing but positive things to say about his manager.

Speaking to The Leader newspaper this week, O'Connell said: “He has been incredible. If you ask anyone in the dressing room, they can't speak highly enough of him.

“He is someone you want to play for. You want to run through a brick wall for him every week, and he just gets it right in terms of how he deals with everyone, how he deals with players and deals with stuff going on off the pitch.”

It's not just current players who have sung Parkinson's praises either, with former Scotland striker Chris Iwelumo also heralding his achievements.

Iwelumo was a key figure in the Colchester side which earned promotion to the Championship under Parkinson, and believes his mindset will have helped keep his current squad focused amid the glare of the 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary cameras.

Speaking about his former manager, he told the BBC: “You have to remember he has a psychology degree. He knows how to handle situations, and he can take himself out of it and look at it from the outside.

“Yes there are cameras everywhere... Wrexham is a brand, but as a manager it does not change anything.

“You have to be able to separate that circus from what you do and what you would usually do as if it was just a normal environment. I think that is what he does well.”

Parkinson's level-headedness has certainly not gone unnoticed during what's been another rollercoaster season, which started with Wrexham conceding lots of goals and the shock departure of Ben Foster.

He's not particularly bothered whether Hugh Jackman or another of the owners' celebrity friends is watching from the stands and keeps his team focused on the task at hand.

He might not play possession-based football and probably doesn't spend his spare time obsessing over xG stats.

However, with a win percentage of more than 60 percent and two promotions under his belt at Wrexham, there are few Red Dragons supporters who will care.