Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson says there has been no discussions about his future following rumours that his future at the club is in doubt.
The 57-year-old has written himself into Wrexham folklore since joining the club in 2021. The Red Dragons’ rise through the football pyramid has been well documented having secured three successive promotions to move from the National League to the Championship.
The leap to the second tier was always going to be the most difficult. It is a division which is widely considered to be one of the toughest in Europe.
This is something which Parkinson and co. have discovered during the early stages of the campaign. They have picked up just one win from their opening five fixtures and currently sit just one place above the relegation zone.
Parkinson Nonplussed By Sack Rumours
Following last weekend’s home defeat against Queens Park Rangers, talkSPORT claimed that the former Sunderland manager’s future was in doubt. Having spent £33 million in the summer and with owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney harbouring ambitions of Premier League football, it was said internal talks had been held.
Wrexham travel to Norwich City this weekend, with Parkinson addressing the rumours ahead of the clash. Speaking to the BBC, he said:
“There were no discussions at all after the game.
“We were just frustrated as a staff and we had a chat with the players, but it was only a brief one and we picked up things on Monday morning.
“I look at the three promotions we’ve had. People sometimes forget, but in each of those seasons, there were tough periods.
“The season we got 111 points, we lost to Chesterfield early in the season. Everyone had written us off. Good Friday, we lost to Halifax and the world had come to an end.
“You look at the League Two season, we had a defeat against Newport. We followed that with a bad defeat at Salford. We refer to the League One season, everyone thinks, wow, what an amazing season that was. But we lost at home to Stevenage, we lost away to Shrewsbury.
“In each season I’ve been here and every season I’ve had as a manager, you have times where people question you, question the players. But that’s when everyone sticks together and comes through the other side of it stronger than ever.”
Writer’s View
It is unlikely that Wrexham will be considering axing Parkinson just yet. There will be a degree of loyalty due to what he has achieved in North Wales. However, if results carry on as they are, it won’t be long before he finds himself under some serious pressure. Although it was always a tough ask, the Hollywood owners would have had their sights on a fourth successive promotion this season. It would never have crossed their minds that rather than a place in the Premier League, they would be back in League One. Still, it’s early doors and Parkinson has more than proved his worth over the past few years.
