Former Wrexham manager Dean Saunders has defended Phil Parkinson against calls for a change, pointing to his three promotions and the scale of the Championship challenge.
Former Wrexham manager Dean Saunders has dismissed criticism of Phil Parkinson, arguing that the club’s slow start to the Championship season should be judged against what the current boss has achieved.
Parkinson led Wrexham to three straight promotions, moving the club from the National League up to the Championship. Last season, they just missed out on the play-offs. However, a tough start to the new season, including a 6–0 loss to West Ham United, led some to question his future. Saunders told SveaCasino he thinks this criticism is “ridiculous”.
Saunders, who was Wrexham’s manager from 2008 to 2011, admitted that Parkinson has had strong financial support. Still, he pointed out that money by itself does not guarantee promotion. Each time the club moved up, Parkinson had to make smart choices about signing players and keeping the team competitive. According to Saunders, Parkinson has done this well every time.
Saunders, who played for Wales, also explained that the Championship is very different from the lower leagues Wrexham played in before. Teams that drop down from the Premier League often keep experienced players and have much bigger budgets. Saunders used West Ham as an example, saying that losing to a team like that does not take away from what Wrexham has achieved with Parkinson in charge.
Saunders spoke out after one of the hardest results of Parkinson's tenure. West Ham’s 6–0 win raised more questions about Wrexham’s form, but Saunders thinks the club’s goals should be weighed against the strength and resources of their opponents. He also wondered whether a change in managers would really help Wrexham improve.
Wrexham bounced back from the West Ham loss by beating Southampton 2–1 at the Racecourse Ground, earning their first home league win of the season. Kieffer Moore scored first, and a late own goal sealed the victory for Parkinson’s team. This result quickly showed that the team can recover after a tough defeat.
Saunders feels that Parkinson’s track record means he deserves patience. The Championship is a much tougher league than the one Wrexham moved up from, and the next few games will show whether the win over Southampton is the start of a real turnaround.
Dean Saunders became Wrexham manager in October 2008, shortly after the club’s relegation from the Football League. It was his first managerial job, and rebuilding took time: Wrexham finished 10th and 11th in his first two seasons in the Conference. Progress came in 2010–11, when his side finished fourth and reached the play-off semi-finals, only to lose to Luton Town. Saunders began the following campaign with Wrexham before leaving for Doncaster Rovers in September 2011. He did not secure promotion, but his spell helped turn a struggling side into credible contenders for a return to the Football League.
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