Wrexham are thriving in their first Championship season: Can they dream of Premier League promotion
Ryan Reynold's team is continuing their meteoric rise up the English soccer pyramid, creating great content in the process
The jump from the EFL Championship to the Premier League is seen as one of the biggest in English Soccer, but not far off is going from League One to the Championship. A shift from a a league where it's easy to be the top spenders to one where teams are running at a loss season after season in order to chase potential Premier League glory brings up an arms race that League One teams aren't used to, but despite that Wrexham have been able to enter the holidays sitting comfortably in 15th place in the Championship without a massive increase in spending.
How to watch Wrexham vs. Sheffield United, odds
- Date: Friday, Dec. 26 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- Location: SToK Racecourse Ground -- Wrexham, Wales
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Wrexham +220; Draw +240; Sheffield United +120
Manager Phil Parkinson has overseen three consecutive promotions with the Dragons -- something that has never happened at this level, and while he may not be overseeing a fourth, the job that he's doing in the Championship may be his best yet. They made impact signings like Kieffer Moore, Lewis O'Brien, and Josh Windass, but it's nothing like what the Dragons were doing in the lower divisions when they overturned their team year after year. Continuity was needed, and being able to balance the side without major reinfocements is quite a credit to Parkinson.
With the expected Hollywood reinfocements like Christian Eriksen not coming despite a star-studded ownership group of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Wrexham were able to make additions to the squad as the third-highest spending side in the Championship, but those were also needed if they were going to survive the drop. That spending was spread around 11 signings, most of whom have become key members of Parkinson's rotation. From identifying talent to ensuring that it's used well, the Wrexham front office has done a good job in working together with the manager to push this team to new heights.
In lower divisions in England, a team's squad value can be indicative of their performance, and Wexham sit 15th in the Championship following their promotion with a value of €55.78 million per Transfermarkt. To put that into context, fellow promoted sides Charlton and Birmingham City are at different ends of the spectrum. Charlton sit 23rd out of 24 clubs at €27.60 million while Birmingham City are eighth at €97.10. At the moment, all three would avoid the drop as they're only separated by three points in the table.
It does help to have Sheffield Wednesday this season, who are on negative nine points at the bottom of the Championship table due to an 18-point deduction due to financial issues, while also being put into administration in October, but even with that, Wrexham would be in their position without a historically poor team in the division. Comfortably staying up in the Championship may not make the greatest television, but it also shows that what the Dragons are doing is sustainable.
They've been able to move on from club legends like Paul Mullin and Elliott Lee without missing a beat, all of which are testaments to Parkinson's leadership. A manager with plenty of experience when he came to Wrexham, he has become arguably the most irreplaceable figure at the ground during this rise. As things have shifted around the club, Parkinson has remained constant, and the Dragons have been better off from it.
Looking at the league table, Wrexham are slightly overperforming at the moment, allowing only 27 goals from an expected goals against of 33.76, but even that figure is better than three teams in the Championship, including Hull City, who are currently in a playoff place. A bit of regression during the remainder of the season likely won't see the club slip into the relegation zone, but it should temper expectations of how high they can go.
With more investment, there's no reason why Wrexham can't dream of the Premier League, but going back to the squad value of teams in the Championship, there's a considerable gap between them and league leaders Coventry City. The Sky Blues are valued at €143.80 million, so just getting the squad on par with bigger clubs such as them and Birmingham City are the next step for Wrexham to push for promotion. When the Dragons have already exceeded expectations of their precious five year plan and more investment is coming into the club, reaching the Premier League in the next five years is quite achievable.
