Phil Parkinson finally speaks what he should have told Wrexham a month ago

April 15, 2026

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson urges his side to emphasise winning their own games instead of being bothered by playoff rivals’ results in this final stretch of the season.

Wrexham’s 2025/26 campaign has been quite different from their previous promotion‑winning spells. Beyond falling out of contention for automatic promotion, the Reds have failed to capitalise on crucial opportunities presented to them in their promotion push.

Last week, they had another chance to close the gap to 6th‑placed Hull. Instead, they lost 2‑0 to Birmingham in an unconvincing fashion.

The recent loss to Birmingham has made every remaining game a must‑win for Wrexham to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, while a win is important, Phil Parkinson has emphasised an essential approach ahead of the final four games.

As quoted by the BBC, Parkinson said: “First and foremost, before we think about anyone else’s results, we’ve got to get our own house in order and give ourselves a chance to start with next week.”

Phil Parkinson urges his side to focus on their own results

Parkinson is clear in his pre‑game comments about what he expects from Wrexham in their approach going forward. Instead of obsessing over playoff rivals’ results, they must win their own games to help their promotion push.

Wrexham have looked like a completely different side this season when playing without pressure compared to when they’re under self‑imposed expectations.

Having entered the top six in late January, Wrexham did well to hold onto that spot for some time. But they kept letting go of crucial opportunities under pressure to leapfrog higher‑ranked sides like Hull and Millwall, and had to rely on other results that eventually stopped going their way.

Ideally, Parkinson should have delivered his recent message much earlier, not to focus solely on the top‑six race. Having made leaps and bounds progress from 15th to 6th with their game‑by‑game approach, the club should have stuck to it to pick up whatever crucial points they could.

Instead, the pressure of trying to win every game made them slip out of the playoff zone. That turned into a snowball effect, and the fear of missing out on the playoffs now has their top‑six hopes hanging by a thread.

Still, boss Phil Parkinson is convinced that Wrexham have plenty left to play for. In that regard, the upcoming Stoke game offers a fresh start to take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead.

Stoke City matchday offers perfect restart for Wrexham

Like any matchday in the gruelling Championship, the Stoke tie will be no easy task for Wrexham. However, the home fixture could offer a perfect reset to the club due to a combination of reasons.

Stoke are perhaps the only opponent of their kind left in Wrexham’s run‑in. Unlike a relegation‑threatened side like Oxford, which is capable of surprises, or promotion contenders like Coventry and Middlesbrough, the game against the Potters could be fairly predictable to prepare for.

In recent weeks, Wrexham have mostly slipped against clubs on the extremes of the table. If they can reset and move on from last week’s loss to Birmingham, the Stoke game could be winnable.

Additionally, the upcoming matchday sees Wrexham return to the Racecourse. The 5‑1 defeat to Southampton at home likely demoralised them heading into the Birmingham trip, but a fresh approach could see the players excited to be back at home.

That’s not to mention that Wrexham have had a better record at home than on the road this season. Fairly, Phil Parkinson and his side will back themselves for the win here.

Finally, the Stoke game comes after a much‑needed week‑long gap for Wrexham. In the previous consecutive defeats, the Reds looked sloppy and far from their best with a fatigued side.

With even star performers like Doyle looking fatigued, the short break gives them crucial time to freshen up and recover. It also allows Parkinson and his staff to orchestrate their plans and start afresh, possibly for the last time this Championship season.