Wrexham A.F.C. finishing as League One runners-up a year ago opened up the possibility of going from non-League to the Premier League in a fashion that had never been done before. Manager Phil Parkinson was in a quandary, as those three promotions in as many years had been characterised by a strong dressing room, where the right mix of hunger and humility had combined. However, the leap in class between the second and third tiers required a serious upgrade for the 2025-26 season. Parkinson knew a balance had to be struck between extra quality on the pitch and the human qualities that had been integral to Wrexham's success. A seventh place finish suggests Parkinson got it just about right. Along the way, promoted duo Coventry City and Ipswich Town were beaten at The Racecourse Ground, while the cups delivered memorable moments, particularly when Nottingham Forest and Chelsea came to town. All achieved on the back of a dressing room that, despite the massive upheaval in personnel, has remained as down-to-earth and lacking in egos as before. Director Humphrey Ker, who set Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac on the path towards buying Wrexham, praised the team's culture, saying it was a big cultural marker of what Phil has done. There's no 'Big Time Charlies'. Everyone is honest, polite and straight-forward. Five games into Wrexham's first season at this level for 43 years and things were not going to plan. A Millwall side that would eventually finish third had been beaten at The Den. But, otherwise, results had been poor with even the other point gained by Parkinson's side from a 2-2 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday having felt more like a defeat after leading by two goals at half-time. Wrexham were fourth bottom of the fledgling table after the third of those three losses, a 3-1 hammering by Queens Park Rangers. With Reynolds watching on, perhaps it was inevitable that the first headlines questioning Parkinson's future should appear online within an hour of the final whistle blowing. The suggestion that talks had been held with regards a possible change of manager came as a surprise to the hierarchy. Not least because Parkinson and Reynolds had enjoyed a convivial dinner together less than 24 hours earlier at the Deadpool star's hotel.