Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney called out for not seeking 'bigger name' manager at Wrexham as co-owners warned Phil Parkinson's 'long ball' tactics won't cut it in Championship

EFL promotion expert Parkinson has helped to guide the Red Dragons out of the National League, claiming a title there in record-breaking style, and up into League One. The ambitious Welsh outfit are looking to make history in 2025 by becoming the first EFL side to take three successive steps up the League ladder.

Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney have provided the funds to make a meteoric rise possible, while opening up a window to the world with an award-winning documentary series, and have never shied away from the fact that they want to see Wrexham reach the Premier League.

Questions are being asked of whether Parkinson is the right man to keep the Red Dragons heading down that path, with EFL expert Ryan Dilks telling the Second Tier podcast of a potential step up into the Championship: “I’m surprised he’s lasted as long as he has there to be honest, I’d have thought they’d go for a bigger name at some point than him, but I’d be surprised if his long-ball stuff were to work at this level.

“I think it does brilliantly in League One and Two but maybe not so much in the Championship. Let’s be honest, with Phil Parkinson would he get a job at Championship level if he left Wrexham? Probably not. That’s the bottom line there with him.”

Parkinson has faced criticism of his tactical blueprint throughout a memorable 213-game reign at SToK Racecourse, and has always been able to silence any detractors. He has Wrexham sat second in the League One table with eight games left to take in this season, with the first of those set to come away at Exeter on Saturday.