All change at Wrexham? Parkinson sent serious warning after latest setback

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has been warned that he faces the possibility of being sacked by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in the coming weeks if the fortunes of the Championship side do not pick up.

The Red Dragons have won only three of their first 14 matches across all competitions this season, leaving them in the lower half of the standings with little over a quarter of the season played.

There have been few signs of improvement in recent weeks, with Wrexham losing three of their last four fixtures, including a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Friday.

With a match against high-flying Middlesbrough to come on Wednesday and then Wolves next Saturday, the pressure is starting to ramp up on Parkinson.

“We were second-best in the first 45 minutes. We were way below where we needed to be. We've got to be honest about that,” he told TalkSport after losing to the Blades.

“We've had some good performances this season, we really have, but we've also had some performances which are not a true reflection of how Wrexham teams have played over the years.”

Relegation fears are there – and they could see Parkinson sacked

Expectations at Wrexham are high after narrowly missing out of the playoffs last season and then investing nearly £30m in their squad over the summer.

But these are not being realised on the field, and Tony Cascarino has warned Parkinson that there could be grave consequences if he cannot find a way to turn around his side’s form.

“They've had an amazing journey, done brilliantly well. And now this is a real sticky patch,” he said.

“He knows he's under pressure. You could tell that by his reaction, just watching it on TV. And you could see that Phil was really upset and disappointed by his team last night. And Sheffield United deservedly won it.

“He's done a great job for a long time. But once it turns and people upstairs start thinking you could get relegated, then fears are there now for the fans and the club.”

Wrexham hold a healthy lead over the clubs in the relegation spots for now, yet a recent draw at Derby was a missed opportunity to open up further breathing space. With Burnley hopeful of improvement after sacking Nicky Hayen, the picture could change rapidly, particularly with two testing games ahead.