Parkinson has faced similar challenges in the past, having taken the reins at Bradford in 2011-12 with the Bantams battling to avoid relegation out of the Football League. And Julian Rhodes – who worked with Wrexham’s current manager at Valley Parade – has told The Athletic: “We set Phil just one target when he got the job — to keep us in the Football League that first season. Bradford in the National League with all the overheads we had back then (around £1.2million per year in rent, rates and utilities)… we’d have had a big, big problem. Oblivion, really. Phil appreciated all that but it never fazed him. He was always so very calm under pressure. It was a big reason why we went for him because he seemed that sort of character when we first met.”
Parkinson steered Bradford clear of danger and guided them to the League Cup final in 2013. He would go on to oversee a promotion into League One and memorable FA Cup win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Rhodes adding on why he remains the best man for the job at Wrexham: “Phil quickly realised how big the job of keeping us in the league was. We were in a horrible position, down near the foot of the table for so long. I lost count of the number of crisis meetings we had that season, both as a board and with the manager, just trying to find a way out of the trouble we were in.
“What Phil never allowed was for any of it to become a drama, either for the players or the club. He’s one of those who never gets too high when things are going well and never gets too low when it goes in the other direction. He just gets on with the job and blocks out any outside noise. Perfect for Bradford City, and I’d imagine perfect for Wrexham in their attempts to win another promotion. He’s a manager who just gets the job done.”
Bradford condemned Wrexham to their latest defeat, with a last-minute winner recorded in that contest after Arthur Okonkwo had saved an earlier penalty. The Red Dragons, who now sit fifth in the fourth-tier table, will be back in action on Tuesday when taking in a trip to Sutton United.
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