Rob Mac ‘proud’ of Wrexham despite play-off heartache as Red Dragons make a mockery of ‘funny’ pre-season relegation predictions

Wrexham’s incredible rise through the English football pyramid hit a rare speed bump on Saturday as a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough saw them miss out on the Championship play-off spots. The result, coupled with Hull City’s victory over Norwich, left the Red Dragons in seventh place — just one agonizing position away from a chance to compete for a spot in the Premier League. While the mood was naturally somber at the Racecourse Ground, Rob Mac took the opportunity to reflect on the club's unprecedented trajectory. Entering the season, many pundits had suggested that the leap to the Championship might be too much for the Welsh side, with some pre-season predictions suggesting they would be fighting against the drop at the bottom of the table - even going as far as to suggest that relegation would be "funny".

Instead, Phil Parkinson’s men spent the majority of the campaign challenging the division's established heavyweights. Rob Mac admitted he was proud of the team and happy with Wrexham's journey throughout this season. Via his Instagram account, Rob Mac said: "So proud of this team and honored to have made it this far, our highest league finish in the history of the club. Phil said it best leading into this game, “the togetherness has already taken us a long way.” Up the town!."

Manager Phil Parkinson was equally philosophical about the miss, pointing out that his squad has exceeded expectations in their first season back in the second tier for 43 years. The Red Dragons showed incredible fight in the finale against Boro, with goals from Josh Windass and Sam Smith ensuring they went down swinging at the Racecourse Ground. Parkinson believes the current group of players is only just getting started at this level.

“In terms of what the lads have given us as a group, I don't think we could have had much more,” Parkinson explained. “I think this squad together, as it stands, with a pre-season together will be even stronger next year. Of course we'll always look to try and add to that to give ourselves an even better chance, but we'll have a break now and we'll come back and go again.”

The 2025-26 campaign will soon be seen by global audiences, as the journey has been documented for the multi-Emmy award-winning series "Welcome to Wrexham." The fifth season of the show is set to chronicle the summer recruitment drive and this season's push for the Premier League. With the new Kop stand and academy improvements underway, the owners believe the foundations for sustained success are now firmly in place.

Parkinson, who has been instrumental in the club's back-to-back promotions, remains focused on the long-term vision. “I think for our supporters, there's so much to be positive about for the football club going forward. The new (Kop) stand, the academy, things are only just starting,” he added.