Wrexham AFC should already be having one Phil Parkinson concern | OneFootball

Phil Parkinson's Championship record leaves a lot to be desired

One of the architects behind Wrexham AFC’s historic ascent up the EFL pyramid may have more to prove than anyone at the club next season.

What Phil Parkinson has done with the small club from North Wales is remarkable, turning a National League side into a powerhouse team one step away from Premier League football.

It’ll sound cliché to say this upcoming campaign will be his most formidable challenge yet, but his track record as a second-tier coach suggests it will be.

Phil Parkinson will go down as Wrexham’s greatest manager

Regardless of how the Red Dragons fare in the Championship next season, Parkinson’s place as a club legend and the greatest manager in club history is likely secure. He’s the only manager in the club’s lengthy history to boast a winning percentage of over 60% and one of only three that have won over 50% of their matches at the helm, with the others being Andy Morrell and Sam Ricketts.

Parkinson has everyone believing that this little club that had significant financial problems at the start of this century will soon be rubbing shoulders in meaningful matches with Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Realistically, that was a pipe dream that a few years ago most would’ve only imagined could happen in a fictional Hollywood movie.

Their historic run of three successive promotions is very much a reality, and they’ve come so far in three seasons that no one would put it past them to do it again in the Championship.

Sure, Parkinson has done it with owners eager to make some big signings. However, given the profile of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham’s spending has not been nearly as extravagant as many would think, with millions spent on players over the past five seasons.

The Red Dragons tend to do their business late in the transfer windows, bringing new faces in after the season has already commenced. That’s made it quite challenging for Parkinson to quickly integrate newcomers into a new system and philosophy, and he’s done that tremendously well.

Not only has he integrated those newcomers into the squad, but they’ve all contributed while the team’s overall continuity hasn’t been affected. He’s made tough calls, like dropping Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer, and adapted to every league and adjusted his tactics accordingly.

That’s the mark of a great manager who can find success in many different ways, from an aggressive attacking side that blows teams away to one that sustains pressure and relies on transitional moments, like we saw in League One.

There’s probably no manager in Wrexham history who has had to evolve so much season after season with a different cast of characters than Parkinson, and he’s done it at an exceptional level.

Phil Parkinson has been successful with numerous EFL clubs

It’d be fair to say Parkinson hasn’t only been exceptional at Wrexham but with various EFL clubs. The Chorley-born coach was the National League’s Manager of the Season in 2022-23, and in 2013 was given the EFL Outstanding Managerial Achievement Award.

He’s guided Wrexham, Colchester United and Bolton Wanderers to League One promotions and helped Bradford City to the Football League Cup Final in 2013, the first League Two side to do so since Rochdale in 1962.

On January 4 of this year, he reached 1,000 matches as an EFL manager. For Parkinson to be in that category, even at lower levels, is pretty special.

Wrexham AFC should have one concern about Phil Parkinson

Perhaps with the backing of owners who have a reputation for acquiring experienced talent, things will be different for Parkinson in the Championship next season. At the same time, making the Premier League is a big deal for many clubs, and we can expect to see nearly every owner at this level pull out all the stops to reach the top-flight.

Parkinson needs to prove he’s worthy of the Championship because a club with the lofty ambitions of Wrexham will not accept being at the bottom of the table long-term.

His record at Bolton Wanderers might have been acceptable, but winning just eight times in a combined 49 games with Charlton Athletic and Hull City is a red flag at this stage, underlining the work that needs to be done at Wrexham to build a reputation back in the Championship.

Parkinson will get his chance to prove the doubters wrong, but you can forgive those doubters voicing any concern right now.