Wrexham manager has clear expectations for his team when they face Chelsea
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has outlined the expectations he has for the pre-season friendly against Chelsea.
The Welsh club are preparing for their first season back in the English Football League for 15 years. Wrexham won the National League title back in April, and will be competing in League Two for the 2023/24 season.
Part of their pre-season preparations will see the roster travel to the United States for a series of friendly matches. The three games as part of their tour stateside will be against Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United, and an LA Galaxy XI.
Wrexham are due to play Chelsea in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Wednesday. Parkinson’s team will then travel to Los Angeles where they will then face Galaxy on Saturday, before heading to San Diego to take on Man United on Tuesday, July 26.
There are three divisions separating Wrexham from two-time European Cup winners Chelsea. And despite the gulf in quality between the two respective rosters, Parkinson has outlined what exactly he is hoping to achieve from the friendly against the team with new manager Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
“Pre-season progression,” Parkinson told reporters when asked what he expected to see from the game against Chelsea. “Physically it's a good workout, make sure the data is correct.
“An understanding that we're up against a top-class team and we will be able to work on our structure without the ball.
“When you pull on a Wrexham shirt, there's an expectation to give a good account of yourself.”
Wrexham’s owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been the driving force behind the club’s success over the last couple of seasons. After winning the National League title, the owners treated the roster to a four-day luxury trip to Las Vegas in May to celebrate.
The Kenan Memorial Stadium will be the venue for the pre-season friendly between Wrexham and Chelsea (Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)Reynolds and McElhenney brought Parkinson to the club as manager in the summer of 2021. And the Wrexham boss could only speak highly of the American owners for the work they do and the impact they’ve made on the club.
“The owners have been incredibly supportive,” said Parkinson. “What they say they want to do, they look to implement it.
“They're very genuine people and as manager they've let me get on with [my] job. They're great to work with and I think you've seen how much they've enjoyed the journey so far.”
Wrexham open their League Two campaign with a home game against MK Dons on Saturday, August 5. The SToK Racecourse will be the venue for the match, in what will be the first game since the team was promoted and since the team changed the name of the stadium from the Racecourse Ground.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
