Wrexham icon Mickey Thomas calls the FA Cup tie against Chelsea a distraction for the Reds’ Premier League promotion dream.
Less than a fortnight ago, Wrexham embraced the hard part and knocked out Ipswich Town in the FA Cup 4th round. While it paved their way to the Round of 16 for the first time in decades, the Reds are now scheduled to take on Chelsea in a historic evening at the Racecourse.
Needless to say, the exciting draw has sparked reactions from pundits throughout the world. Recently, Wrexham legend Mickey Thomas joined in, sharing his perspective on the contest as a lifelong Reds fan and icon.
Unlike the majority of fans, who are hyped up for Wrexham vs Chelsea, club icon Mickey Thomas has warned the Reds that the FA Cup tie could be a distraction. The renowned legend hopes Wrexham don’t get swept up in the occasion and instead prioritise their push for Premier League promotion.
As quoted by Athlon Sports, Mickey Thomas spoke on the BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, saying: “With Chelsea, the build-up and that, it will be slightly a distraction for them. Hopefully, they can focus on the main priority that is getting to that Premier League.”
Wrexham fans would beg to differ with Mickey’s claim
Wrexham’s FA Cup run this season has been a fairytale journey for them. While it has been only 2 wins statistically, the magnitude of them speaks enough about their importance to Reds fans.
Firstly, Wrexham got the better of an active Premier League participant in Nottingham Forest in a thrilling home win. The Reds followed this with a dominating win over Championship promotion contenders Ipswich to knock them out of the competition.
More importantly, Wrexham complemented the FA Cup win over the Tractor Boys with a massive Championship result. This way, the Reds progressed through the Cup while boosting their promotion hopes.
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Undeniably, the game Vs Chelsea comes as far more challenging for Wrexham as they host the current Club World Cup Champions. Still, that’s what anticipates an iconic giant killing like the one Mickey Thomas achieved against Arsenal in his Wrexham days.
During the 3rd round FA Cup contest in 1992, Mickey initiated Wrexham’s comeback against Arsenal with a sensational free kick in the 82nd minute. Within minutes, Steve Watkin completed the fightback with the 2-1 goal to establish Wrexham’s biggest giant-killing story to date.
Again, a result like this isn’t guaranteed against Chelsea and will take a lot of doing from Wrexham. But the fans would be buzzing at the idea of hosting a Premier League giant in such a massive FA Cup opportunity.
Chelsea clash can be Wrexham’s “good distraction”
There’s no doubt that Wrexham’s FA Cup tie against Chelsea launches them into a power-packed schedule of 4 games in the next 11 days. While that schedule is relentless, the Blues contest can be a good distraction for Wrexham in the longer term.
Undeniably, the next major target for the Reds is setting foot in the Premier League. Again, Wrexham hope to establish themselves as a mainstay in the top flight, rather than dropping straight back down to the Championship after going up.
If that’s what Wrexham aspires to, a competitive game against a Big 6 club like Chelsea prepares them for life ahead. Once the Reds go up to the Premier League, such clashes will come every other week, and they’ll need some first‑hand practice to adjust to Europe’s biggest league.
Here’s where the FA Cup game serves as a first-hand test for Wrexham and Phil Parkinson. Keeping aside the result for once, Wrexham have a lot to learn from the experience of facing a quality PL side like Chelsea.
Even if the Blues rotate heavily, Parky’s men will be in for an exciting evening as they line up against Chelsea’s billion-dollar valued side. That’s not forgetting how a lucky result here can give Wrexham the world of confidence before entering a challenging stretch in the Championship promotion race as well.
Overall, Wrexham has more than enough reasons to give it their best shot against Chelsea in the FA Cup. Even a disqualification won’t hurt the Reds, as they learn for their PL dream ahead.
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