Phil Parkinson is confident Wrexham will come back “even stronger” next season after they missed out on a place in the EFL Championship playoffs.
The Red Dragons were held to a 2–2 draw by Middlesbrough on the final day of the regular season as they missed out on sixth place by two points. Wrexham were aware that no result would guarantee them a playoff position on the final day, and they ultimately fell short as Hull City came from behind to defeat Norwich City.
Wrexham finished the season seventh in the Championship, their best-ever finish in the club’s 162-year history. It also ensured that Parkinson’s side were the highest finishers of any of the newly promoted clubs and the best team in Wales, with plenty of positives to take from their first season back in the second tier in 43 years.
Phil Parkinson Gives Verdict on Wrexham Season
Wrexham started the Championship season slowly, with four defeats from their opening six matches, but soon found their footing once the dust had settled.
After they secured their first home win of the campaign, the Red Dragons embarked on a remarkable nine-match unbeaten run that lifted them up the league table. They rang in the New Year with an impressive four-match winning streak and managed to cut out costly draws during the promotion run-in.
Wrexham fell just short on the final day of the season, though manager Parkinson was proud of what he saw from his side after a tough start. “We brought so many new players into the club. We had a lot of players who have come up quickly through the divisions with us, and that was a challenge,” he admitted.
“It took us a while to get going. We got a couple of uncharacteristic injuries at the start of the season. Slowly but surely, everybody got to know each other. We got to know the players, they got to know the staff, and we formulated another really good dressing room.
“We were so close to achieving it, but it wasn’t to be. The lads can be very proud of their achievements, and the supporters can be as well. They have supported us in great numbers, home and away, and shown incredible passion and loyalty for their team.”
It looked like any hopes of the playoffs were over when Wrexham lost 2–0 to Birmingham on April 12, a defeat that left them four points from sixth place. However, they responded extremely well with wins over Stoke City and Oxford United that revived their unlikely playoff hopes.
Final Championship Standings
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Coventry City | 95 |
| 2. | Ipswich Town | 84 |
| 3. | Millwall | 83 |
| 4. | Southampton | 80 |
| 5. | Middlesbrough | 80 |
| 6. | Hull City | 73 |
| 7. | Wrexham | 71 |
| 8. | Derby County | 69 |
Parkinson believes the last month of the season, in particular, was a huge positive and will form the foundation for an even better second season in the Championship.
He added, “After the Birmingham defeat, the season could have petered out—it really could. As you get to this stage of the season, there are a lot of players carrying injuries, a lot of tired legs out there. But we responded again with the Stoke and the Oxford victories. It just wasn’t to be.
“In terms of what the lads have given us as a group, I don’t think we could have had much more. I think this squad, together, as it stands, with a preseason together, will be even stronger next year.
“Of course, we’ll always look to try to 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.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Phil Parkinson Makes Exciting Wrexham Prediction After Devastating Final Day.
