Wrexham AFC: Phil Parkinson draws link to Man United and Sir Alex Ferguson | OneFootball

Phil Parkinson has praised Wrexham's mentality amid comparisons to Sir Alex Ferguson's Man United sides.

Phil Parkinson has drawn comparisons to Alex Ferguson's famous Man United team, with his Wrexham side deemed to have the mentality to dig out points when not at their best.

Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced their purchase of the North Wales club in late 2020 for around £2 million, Wrexham have won the National League and gained promotion to League One in the following season, and seen enormous growth off the pitch commercially as well, as documented on Welcome to Wrexham on Disney+.

The Red Dragons secured promotion back to the third tier in some style, putting six past Forest Green Rovers to remarkably earn back-to-back promotions for the first time in the club's history, returning to the division they were relegated from 19 years ago.

The foundations for Wrexham's consecutive promotions have been laid on a highly impressive record at the Racecourse as well, where the club sell out every week. They won there again on Sunday, with a 2-1 win in the 91st minute against Wigan Athletic to maintain their strong start to the season.

So far, they have made the most of the chance to jump into promotion contention already, with the fight for a play-off berth wide open this year. The Red Dragons may even go one further as they are currently inside the automatic promotion places.

Phil Parkinson's Alex Ferguson and Man United comparison with Wrexham

They were hoping to continue their upwards momentum into the third tier, where they face plenty of ex-Premier League teams week-to-week. Ultimately, that is where their ambitious owners hope they will be at some stage.

Wrexham may have only just come up, but they have shown their class once again under Parkinson and already look comfortable at this level, with their recruitment aiding their cause. It remains to be seen whether they can continue to shine throughout the campaign, but their start should give their team plenty of confidence.

Steven Fletcher's goal was the latest winner in the 90th minute this weekend, with that element an impressive feature of Wrexham this season. That has been a particular differential in home games, where Ollie Rathbone and Fletcher (twice) have found three late-winning goals in just the past month alone.

Parkinson does not believe that fighting spirit is a coincidence, having seen his side adapt well to life in the third tier. Speaking via The Athletic, the Wrexham manager was asked what has been key to such an impressive return to League One.

He said: “It’s always believing.

“I was watching the Sir Alex (Ferguson) documentary yesterday and how Manchester United always went right to the wire.

“We’ve got that mentality here. We go to the end and we always believe we can get a goal.”

Wrexham's ambitions in League One

After breezing through two divisions in the last two seasons, optimism is at an all-time high for everyone involved with Wrexham. A historic triple-promotion is a distinct possibility at this moment in time.

It may take the play-offs, given the strength of Wycombe Wanderers, Birmingham City, and Huddersfield Town in the automatic promotion race, but Wrexham are well-placed to improve and deepen their squad further in January. The gritty way of grinding out results is impressive, but more control and technical quality would take them to new heights.

If they do that, then there is every chance they could push those sides all the way to automatic promotion to the Championship. They have plenty of experience in their ranks, so adding a touch more depth and quality could make all the difference in the winter market.