Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson is determined to break an unusual Championship trend as his squad works to overcome a difficult start following last season's narrow failure to reach the play-offs. The Red Dragons currently sit 17th in the second tier, having secured just 14 of the 36 points on offer after winning only three of their opening 12 matches.
Historical data reveals how difficult life can be for teams that finish seventh, with only Middlesbrough in 2022-23—when they came fourth—managing a top-half finish the following year across the past 15 Championship campaigns. Wrexham secured their highest ever league finish by coming seventh last term, missing out on a top-six berth after a 2-2 draw with Boro on the final day. Parkinson noted that clubs like Derby have similarly suffered after falling just short, stating that while an opportunity slipped away, it is now up to his side to show the mental resilience needed to buck the trend.
Despite their slow opening to the campaign, Wrexham possess the exact same points tally at this stage as they did 12 games into last season. Parkinson's side are aiming to mount a response to their recent 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers, where a Gudjohnsen double decided the contest, when they return to action against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Friday at 20:00 GMT.
The upcoming match against the Blades falls almost five years to the day after co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac attended their first Wrexham fixture, which ended in a 3-2 defeat at Maidenhead United in the National League in October 2021. Parkinson, who has delivered three promotions since being appointed in the summer of 2021, pointed to an upcoming fixture run against Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, and Wolves as evidence of the club's enormous journey since that eventful debut and their subsequent home draw with Torquay at the Racecourse.