Despite guiding Wrexham to three straight promotions, manager Phil Parkinson is facing scrutiny after a sluggish start to life in the Championship, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney overseeing a lavish £33m recruitment drive.
Phil Parkinson’s remarkable journey with Wrexham — guiding the club from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons — may not be enough to shield him from pressure this year. After co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney sanctioned a £33 million summer transfer spree, questions are being raised over whether the 57-year-old can meet the heightened expectations.
The Red Dragons splashed out on 13 new signings, including high-profile arrivals Kieffer Moore and Lewis O’Brien, to strengthen the squad for second-tier football. But with only one win on the board in the early weeks of the 2025-26 campaign, some are beginning to wonder whether Parkinson’s position could come under scrutiny.
BBC Sport’s Chris Wathan suggested on BBC Sounds that the Wrexham boss is “probably” under pressure, though he also stressed that Parkinson has never been fazed by scrutiny since arriving at the Racecourse Ground.
Some of those players have really slotted in beautifully already, Wathan noted. Kieffer Moore looks perfect for the role he’s been asked to play, and Lewis O’Brien has been outstanding. With Ollie Rathbone to return from injury, the midfield options are superb.
Does it put pressure on Phil Parkinson? Probably. But he now has the squad depth to change games, which is something he didn’t always have before.”
That strength in depth is precisely what Reynolds and McElhenney set out to deliver. Their long-term ambition is to reach the Premier League by 2027 — an ambitious target that leaves little room for stagnation. While simply surviving in the Championship this season may satisfy the Hollywood owners, the financial backing inevitably raises the bar.
For Parkinson, the challenge now is to prove that Wrexham can not only compete but also consolidate in a notoriously unforgiving division. With a home fixture against QPR up next on September 13, pressure will be on to turn big spending into consistent results.
