Wrexham Are Going Around in Circles As Phil Parkinson Faces Familiar Questions

It was hoped Wrexham had turned a corner after their record $48 million summer transfer spend. Instead, it looks like they might be going around in circles.

Almost a month after defying the odds to win when it mattered most against Southampton, questions are once again being asked of manager Phil Parkinson after his men collected just one point from their last two matches. Some sections of the Racecourse Ground crowd even booed the team at full-time on Tuesday, so disappointed by the lackluster performance against West Bromwich Albion.

What is worrying is how many similarities there are to Wrexham’s poor start to last season. What is reassuring is that they went on to record their best-ever finish in the second tier, finishing seventh—a position that would secure a playoff spot under this season’s revised format.

It is that paradox that makes for such an interesting mood among supporters. For some, patience is key. There is a belief that once the new signings are properly settled and key players return from injury, it might take just one win for the Red Dragons to find their form and take flight once again.

For others, the fact that Wrexham are back in this position after a record summer of spending is simply not good enough. They are no longer underdogs, and with such clear ambitions of reaching the Premier League, they cannot afford to spend the early stages of the season playing catch-up.

Parkinson Retains Support of Wrexham Owners

Ryan Reynolds, Phil Parkinson, Rob Mac — Phil Parkinson has guided Wrexham to three promotions. | Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images

Parkinson will get more time to turn things around and retains the faith of co-chairmen Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds. There is an acceptance that results and performances have not been good enough, but the league table can be easy to sensationalize this early in the season, when a single win can dramatically alter a team’s standing.

The Red Dragons are theoretically just one win away from 10th place, a position that would likely change the mood and silence some of the alarm bells that continue to ring. Of the teams in the top 10 after 10 matches last season, only four finished there. Four others ended the campaign in the bottom 10.

However, the same argument works in reverse: Wrexham are also just one defeat away from the relegation zone and have yet to beat any of the four teams currently below them in the table this season ahead of their home match with bottom side Preston North End this weekend.

It all feels like déjà vu. Wrexham were 18th at this stage last season, with 10 points from their opening 10 matches. They are currently 17th, with 11 points from their first 10 games.

Wrexham After 10 Matches	Position	Points	Wins	Draws	Defeats	Goals scored	Goals conceded
25–26	18th	10	2	4	4	14	16
26–27	17th	11	2	5	3	11	15

Ipswich Town were 11th at the same stage last season and went on to secure automatic promotion. Derby County, who sat 21st, finished eighth, while Norwich City climbed from 20th to ninth. It is only fair to point out, though, that the team occupying Wrexham’s current position last season went on to be relegated.

Parkinson believes the division remains as congested and competitive as it was last season. Wrexham were 15th heading into Boxing Day before a remarkable festive run propelled them up the table and back into the playoff picture, where they ultimately fell agonizingly short.

There are crumbs of comfort for the optimists willing to look for them, though it is understandable why others want to brush them aside when they were promised a greater feast this season. The Red Dragons remain inferior to the league’s best teams and have yet to evolve tactically beyond the foundations they laid last season.

All too often, the game plan relies on moments of individual quality to produce positive results, even when that quality is unreliable. Kieffer Moore looked to have delivered another such moment against West Brom in midweek.

It was a similar story last season, when Josh Windass almost single-handedly dragged Wrexham into playoff contention by scoring seven of their 13 goals during the closing weeks of the campaign. That was a remarkable contribution, but one they could not count on being repeated this season—a concern compounded by Windass’s current injury problems.

An Unconvincing Summer Transfer Window

Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson ahead of the Sky Bet Championship match. — Mike Williamson took the lead on the transfer front this summer. | Cody Froggatt/PA Images via Getty Images

Questions also need to be asked about the summer recruitment, during which CEO Michael Williamson took charge of transfer negotiations while the club awaited the arrival of sporting director Steve Nickson.

Williamson insisted the club was “comfortable” with its striking options as Wrexham stuck with Moore and Sam Smith. Meanwhile, it was baffling that they allowed defenders Dan Scarr and Lewis Brunt to leave but brought in only one replacement for the pair.

Those problems should not be repeated now that Nickson is at the club. However, the elephant in the room is that Wrexham now have a CEO and a sporting director who did not appoint Parkinson.

Although both are understood to have good working relationships with the manager—Nickson even went for a pint with Parkinson two days after Wrexham were thrashed by West Ham—their own success ultimately depends on the first team’s fortunes.

Parkinson still has time to turn things around, and he has done so before. But Wrexham know this cannot continue indefinitely when there is so much momentum behind the club.

For those who watched a decade ago, there is an irony in seeing supporters boo a team playing at the highest level in its history. However, the Red Dragons are no longer the same community-run club they once were, and the way success is measured has changed dramatically.

There is still plenty of time for Parkinson to put things right. If he doesn’t, it might be down to somebody else to do so.

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