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Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday will go head-to-head this weekend for the first time in 19 years, but if Phil Parkinson wants inspiration for how to beat the Owls, he can look back on his own victory from 2017.
It has been a poor start to the season for both teams, with Wrexham falling to narrow defeats against Southampton and West Brom, while Sheffield Wednesday lost to Leicester City and got a battering at the hands of Stoke City.
The Red Dragons will be hoping home advantage can carry them through this weekend and secure Phil Parkinson’s men a crucial three points to get their season up and running.
Wednesday will want revenge on Wrexham for their 4-1 hammering in the League Cup 19 years ago, but Parkinson knows all about beating the Owls thanks to his own victory in that very competition eight years ago.
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What Phil Parkinson said after beating Sheffield Wednesday
Parkinson’s Bolton Wanderers side secured a 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup back in 2017, and his comments after the game have an eerie relevance to Wrexham’s own situation right now as they look for a morale-boosting win.
Speaking after the final whistle, he said: “I’m very pleased to win tonight and I think for the confidence of everybody it was important. At 3-0 up it was a very comfortable evening, but their subs made a difference, and the referee… but all in all, it’s a good night’s work for us, there were some big performances for us tonight.
“We’ve shown that, if we play properly, we can compete with anyone at this level… we were disciplined, we didn’t give away cheap goals and give the opponent a lift… We needed that win to give everyone a lift. A result like this shows everybody what can be achieved.”
Suffice it to say, if Wrexham can bag the three points this weekend, even with a narrow victory, they’ll be absolutely buzzing to get off the mark and gain some momentum after a slow start to the season.
We’ve got them down for a win in our Championship score predictions for this weekend, so let’s see if we’re correct.
Phil Parkinson has a point to prove when it comes to his Championship record
Many have questioned Phil Parkinson’s credentials when it comes to taking Wrexham to the next level. He’s achieved incredible success with the club, helping them rise through the EFL, but can he handle it in the Championship?
Looking at his managerial record at this level, you would say the answer is a resounding no. Parkinson has managed 143 games in the division, winning just 26 while drawing 37 and losing 80. That’s a win ratio of just 18.18%, or an average of 0.80 points-per-game.
He was relegated with Bolton in 2019 and also finished rock bottom of the league with Charlton Athletic in 2008/09.
As far as we know thanks to The Wrexham Insider, Parkinson’s job is safe and he has a tremendous amount of goodwill banked, but there is pressure around his role and that will only intensify if results don’t pick up.