Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has been warned that the club’s Hollywood owners won’t hesitate to sack him if results slip
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has been cautioned he’s just one poor spell away from getting the boot from the club’s “ruthless” Hollywood owners. The ex-Sunderland boss has guided the Red Dragons from the National League all the way up to the Championship since arriving in July 2021, achieving three successive promotions.
Wrexham had been enjoying a nine-match undefeated run in the second tier, but it came to a sudden halt on Wednesday evening as they suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Hull. Despite the setback, Parkinson’s side sit 14th and remain just four points adrift of the play-off positions.
Former Premier League midfielder Jobi McAnuff has hailed the 58-year-old’s accomplishments in North Wales as “absolutely incredible”. Nevertheless, he reckons Parkinson must remain vigilant regarding Wrexham’s celebrity co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, insisting they won’t hesitate to dismiss him should their form deteriorate.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s 72+ podcast, he said: “It was always going to be a challenge, not just for the club but for Phil as well, to prove that he can take a club into this league and be competitive, which I think they have done.
“But he has to deal with that pressure, because the minute it doesn’t go right for an extended period… they are going to be looking elsewhere. That is the nature – they’re ruthless and they’ve done it with players.
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“Yes, you get all the nice stuff and you see all the video footage of ex-players still being involved. But once they get to a point with anyone there that they feel has served their purpose, they’re gone. It’s that simple.
“And it’s like, ‘Who’s the next person in to take us to the level above?’ That applies to Phil as it does to any of the players. At the moment, he is proving that he is the right man for the job.”
McAnuff’s remarks come after Wrexham let several key figures who had been instrumental in their recent success depart over the summer. Club legend Paul Mullin joined League One outfit Wigan on loan, whilst strike partner Ollie Palmer made a permanent switch to League Two’s Swindon.
Wrexham endured a difficult opening to their Championship season, suffering defeat in three of their initial five fixtures. Claims surfaced in September suggesting talks had taken place regarding Parkinson’s position, though such speculation was swiftly dismissed by the club’s hierarchy.
The manager voiced his frustration following Wrexham’s undefeated streak being broken at Hull. The Tigers claimed victory courtesy of strikes from Kyle Joseph and Oli McBurnie, with Kieffer Moore squandering a spot-kick for the visitors.
Reflecting on the encounter, Parkinson said: “We’ve just had an honest chat with the lads. We just weren’t where we needed to be tonight and we’ve got to be honest about that. It’s very rare in my whole time at Wrexham to have a 45 minutes that was so unlike us.
“Tonight the first 45 minutes was certainly one of those performances, but against a good side as well. Give them credit, they were excellent. We will look to respond, of course. That’s what football’s all about.
“We’ll be a bit flat because we don’t like losing. Nobody does in football, but we’ll work together as a group and we’ll look to put in a good performance on the weekend.”
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