'Chew you up and spit you out' - Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac sent warning as Wrexham adapt to life in the Championship

Wrexham’s remarkable rise under their famous owners has carried them all the way to the Championship, but the step up has proven testing. After a shaky start, losing three of their first five, Phil Parkinson’s men have steadied the ship with a four-game unbeaten run. However, Goodman believes the team must remain sharp or risk being exposed by the unforgiving nature of England’s second tier.

“Yes, I've seen improvement from Wrexham,” Goodman told football betting site talkSPORT Bet. “They've gone from losing three of the first five games to being unbeaten in their last four against decent opponents — that’s progress.”

"The important bit is that Phil Parkinson appears to have found a settled team, which really helps. They're unchanged in the last two and only Callum Doyle dropped out from the team that beat Norwich.

"They've got one or two injuries that will come back into the team, they've started to get new players up to speed, fitness-wise, and they've also got new players understanding how Phil Parkinson wants them to play.

"So, there are definitely positives. The biggest of which is in the last three games, according to OPTA stats, they've only given up two big chances. In the two games prior to that, they gave up eight big chances, and that had been their biggest struggle when adapting to Championship level.

“There are definitely signs of progress in that defensive department, which has always been a massive part of Phil Parkinson's DNA. His sides are known for being hard to play against and hard to beat. You can see signs of that being the case.

“But they can't rest on their laurels. Because this league, if you do, will chew you up and spit you out.”

Since their Hollywood-backed takeover in 2021, Wrexham’s meteoric climb from the fifth tier of English football to the Championship has been nothing short of extraordinary. Successive promotions have brought both global attention and growing expectations for Parkinson’s side. Yet, as they face their toughest test yet, the club’s focus now shifts to adapting and sustaining consistency at this higher level.

Wrexham will look to build on their unbeaten run when they visit Stoke City after the international break. With 10 points from nine games, they’ll aim to turn tight draws into vital wins to climb the table. Reynolds and Mac’s dream of reaching the Premier League remains alive.