The Red Dragons are now just one step away from the Premier League, but taking it promises to be the toughest task yet
For the first time in 43 years, Wrexham will be competing in the second tier of English football. Three years ago, when the Red Dragons were still a National League club, that seemed like an impossible goal, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have raised expectations at the Racecourse Ground to never-before-seen levels.
Wrexham ended up becoming National League champions in 2022-23 with a record haul of 111 points, and followed up that success by finishing second in both League Two and League One over the next two seasons to earn an incredible slice of history. No other club in the English ladder has ever achieved three successive promotions, and it may never happen again.
Reynolds, McElhenney – who recently changed his name to Rob Mac – and Wrexham head coach Phil Parkinson deserve immense credit for getting the club this far, and the beloved co-owners are optimistic that the unprecedented run will continue in the Championship, too, with McElhenney recently saying on : "If I’m being honest, I don’t even know what the word consolidation means."
But the reality is, reaching the Premier League at the first time of asking would be nothing short of a miracle considering how big the jump from League One to the Championship is. Indeed, only five clubs have ever done it, the latest being Ipswich Town in 2023-24, but they have a far larger fanbase and greater financial weight than Wrexham. The considerable resources provided by Reynolds and McElhenney gave Wrexham an edge in the lower leagues, but their revenue does not compare to the bigger Championship sides.
"We’re going into one of the most competitive leagues in world football. One of the most supported leagues. The jump in salaries is mind-blowing. I don’t think people outside football quite realise," Parkinson has said in an attempt to give supporters a reality check.
All of that will have to be factored in when judging what should be considered a successful season for the Welsh outfit this time around. GOAL has taken a look at what realistically lies in store as Wrexham face the most daunting challenge of their Hollywood era to date…
Getty Images SportMood around the Racecourse Ground
Wrexham supporters could hardly be more excited heading into their first second-tier campaign since 1982. They have been in dreamland over the last three years, and some will understandably believe that promotion challenge is possible at the Racecourse Ground after a busy summer in the transfer market.
However, most fans acknowledge that this is the year that the ride may start to slow down. Indeed, Wrexham fan account @StopUsingWxM has declared on X that "I would be happy finishing 21st for the next 15 years", while Matthew Jones, creator of the Racecourse Ramble Podcast, has declared he'd take "mid-table safety now" after predicting "we're going to lose more often and have longer spells without a win than we've been used to".
Jones' opinion seems to reflect the consensus among the Wrexham faithful, with any kind of play-off push considered to be miracle territory. That was, though, also the feeling before their return to League One. Avoiding a relegation battle may be the main goal now, but caution will give way to fresh confidence if the Red Dragons get off to a good start in the Championship, because this is a squad that knows how to build momentum.
AdvertisementGettyTransfer business
Reynolds and McElhenney have never made any secret of their desire to take Wrexham all the way to the Premier League, and they have given Parkinson a heavy transfer war chest to make it happen at the earliest possible date. The Red Dragons have made eight signings already this summer, breaking their transfer record twice, first with a £2.2 million move for Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace before splashing £5m on Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien.
Wrexham have spent another combined £2m on Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie and George Thomason from Bolton, while securing free transfers for ex-Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward and former Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass, son of Hull City legend Dean. But all of those deals were eclipsed in prestige by the arrivals of Conor Coady and Kieffer Moore over the past week.
Bringing in those two former Premier League stars has set Reynolds and McElhenney back another £4m, but their experience could prove invaluable. Convincing 10-cap England international Coady to leave Leicester and join the ambitious Racecourse project was a huge coup, and ex-Sheffield United frontman Moore is the ideal replacement for cult hero Steven Fletcher.
The Red Dragons may not be done yet, either. Talks over a blockbuster deal for ex-Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen have been confirmed, and it would be another huge statement of intent if they can get it over the line.
Fitting Eriksen into the wage bill shouldn't be an issue because Parkinson has cleared a lot of deadwood. Seven players have been released, including Fletcher and Mark Howard, while Will Boyle has been sold to Shrewsbury and Mansfield have snapped up Luke Bolton. Wrexham legend Paul Mullin has also moved on, securing a loan move to Wigan after falling down the attacking pecking order.
GettyPre-season performances
After spending the last two summers in the United States, Wrexham decided to instead embark on a pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand this time around, with the former country supposedly having the third-most followers of the club's 'Welcome to Wrexham' docuseries on Disney+. Parkinson and his players received a very warm welcome Down Under, and they responded by giving the Aussies their money's worth in their first friendly outing against the Melbourne Victory.
Wrexham romped to an impressive 3-0 win against the A-League side, with debutant Hardie among the goals. However, it was a performance that took a lot out of the Red Dragons, who looked lethargic and uninspired four days later against Sydney FC, going down 2-1 courtesy of a late winner from Joe Lacey in a match that was overshadowed by a worrying injury to star midfielder Ollie Rathbone.
Parkinson's side then travelled to New Zealand to face the Wellington Phoenix, but slumped to a 1-0 defeat after a woeful error from No.1 goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. That was a sad end to their tour, and Wrexham failed to bounce back in a same-day double header against Groningen in the Netherlands on August 2. The Red Dragons were beaten 1-0 and 3-1 by the Eredisvie outfit, with Parkinson left frustrated over their fragility at the back.
"We were too easy to score against. We have got to have that edge about us and have got to defend our goal better than we did today," the manager told the club's YouTube channel.
One win and four defeats were certainly not the best preparation for Wrexham's Championship opener against Southampton, but Parkinson felt his team had a "decent" pre-season overall, as he added: "I think the minutes we have got in the players has been good. It has been consistent so I am pleased with that."
Getty Images SportTalking tactics
Parkinson is an old-school coach who prioritises a solid defensive set-up and looks for the most direct route to goal. Indeed, no other team in League One hit more long passes than Wrexham per 90 minutes last season (57.93), with the majority of those coming from goalkeeper Okonkwo as he fed the target men upfront.
One of Ollie Palmer, Jay Rodriguez, or Fletcher would typically knock the ball down to first-choice No.9 Sam Smith, who joined the club from Reading in January, and he would then use his pace to wreak havoc behind enemy lines. It was an effective formula, but Parkinson will have to tweak it if Wrexham are to make a big impression in their first season back in the Championship.
The Red Dragons are formidable at the back, so a deviation from their preferred 3-5-2 formation may not be necessary, but they can't afford to remain so one-dimensional going forward. Parkinson must work on proper patterns of play for Wrexham to compete with the Championship's elite teams.
He is rightly considered one of the greatest managers in Wrexham's history, and has also enjoyed success at Colchester, Bolton and Bradford, but only in the lower leagues. Across 49 Championship games in spells with Charlton and Hull, Parkinson only delivered nine wins, which was a consequence of the fact that neither team could hold onto possession for any significant length of time.
Parkinson's credit at Wrexham could run out quickly if he makes the same mistake this season.
