Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has received a warning about his transfer policy
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has been cautioned against abandoning his tried-and-tested approach of steering clear of players with inflated egos. The former Sunderland manager has overseen remarkable success since arriving at the club in July 2021.
Funded by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Parkinson has masterminded three back-to-back promotions, lifting the Red Dragons from the National League all the way to the Championship. Throughout this period, he’s maintained a rigorous “no superstars, no egos” recruitment strategy to keep harmony in the dressing room.
However, he’s been cautioned that maintaining that philosophy could prove increasingly challenging as Wrexham edge closer to the Premier League. The 58-year-old brought in 13 new players over the summer following their promotion from League One.
Ex-England forward Jay Bothroyd has now warned Parkinson about the risks of disrupting team chemistry through excessive squad overhauls. It comes after confirmation that the manager will have additional funds available when the January transfer window opens.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, the former Cardiff City and QPR frontman said: “It is difficult for Phil Parkinson and the fact that Wrexham are spending money and bringing very good players in always makes things difficult. It’s not just the quality of the player, you need to bring the right characters in.
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“It’s always going to be difficult for managers to manage players who think they should be playing, with the ego as well. If you’re one of the players who has had a very good career, you might be in your 30s, managers might look and say ‘well, I don’t think you can play three games in a week’ but you think you can.
“It’s difficult to get your head around the fact you could be sitting on the bench and players will be playing in front of you. But that’s part of the battle, you have to bring players in that all share the same mindset, which is that the most important thing is for getting promoted.
“Everyone is going to play their part and they will, because it’s the Championship and there are so many games, there are going to be injuries and suspensions.”
Wrexham’s extraordinary rise has captured attention worldwide, with the Welcome to Wrexham documentary transforming them into an international sensation. Bothroyd reckons that can only boost the club and help spread football’s appeal abroad, particularly across the pond in America.
He said: “I think Wrexham’s story is great for football. Tom Brady has tried to do it with Birmingham – they’ve gone from League One into the Championship of course – and I’m sure we are going to see more celebrities around the world get involved.
“Football wasn’t that big [in America] but now it’s growing, because everyone is enjoying it. You get the likes of Lionel Messi, Ibrahimovic and Beckham going to play football in America and it’s growing the sport.
“It’s great to see what Wrexham have done and I want to see more clubs do that, [with] the Roy of the Rovers kind of stories.”
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