Wrexham Manager Prepares for 'Hollywood Derby' Against Birmingham City
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson emphasized the importance of not dwelling on a perceived rivalry with Birmingham City ahead of Friday's highly anticipated Championship match at the Stok Cae Ras.
The upcoming game has been labeled the 'Hollywood derby,' as Wrexham is co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, while NFL legend Tom Brady is part of Birmingham's ownership group.
Both teams, featured in separate documentaries, achieved automatic promotion from League One last season.
"We haven't really referenced the rivalry from last year too much because I think it's well-known by everyone," Parkinson stated. "We had two competitive matches against them last year, which garnered significant attention. It's more about what we have been doing well and how we can replicate that, while also focusing on the specifics of Birmingham's play."
McElhenney and Brady, along with former England captain David Beckham, were present at St Andrew's last season when Birmingham triumphed 3-1, while the return match at Stok Cae Ras ended in a 1-1 draw.
Chris Davies' Birmingham currently sits 11th in the Championship, having secured only one win in their last five league matches. In contrast, Wrexham has lost just once in their last six league games and is positioned 15th.
"To be honest, our recent performance has been decent—excluding the QPR match, we have been on a solid run for quite some time," Parkinson remarked. "Consistency is crucial, and I believe we are beginning to demonstrate that in our game. We spoke to the players this morning about making a significant push tomorrow night to enter the international break on a positive note with another strong performance."
Wrexham, who drew 1-1 against Leicester City on Tuesday, is still in search of their first home league victory of the season, having recorded two draws and two losses thus far.
Lewis O'Brien had given Wrexham the lead against Derby County last Saturday, but Ben Brereton Diaz's equalizer denied them their initial three points at home. "We did win in the EFL Cup against Reading and progressed on penalties against Hull," Parkinson noted. "The Derby game was an opportunity that we let slip. However, it’s all about performance level, and we are focusing on the performance against Leicester and aspects of the Derby game that we need to improve. If we can bring that to the pitch on Friday, we’ll have a great chance."