Wrexham tipped for promotion by opposition manager

Wrexham have been identified as one of the teams to beat in League One this season.

The Welsh club, owned by Hollywood Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney, are chasing a third straight promotion after exploding into life following the stars’ takeover.

Led by former Bradford City, Hull City and Charlton Athletic boss Phil Parkinson, The Dragons have again been active in the transfer market as Reynolds and McElhenney chase what would be a remarkable hat-trick of promotions.

As a host of Hollywood A-listers continue to flock to the Racecourse Ground, Parkinson is being backed to oversee a challenge for Championship football by a rival manager who has witnessed his work at close quarters.

“Wrexham will be up there,” Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder told SportsBoom.com

“If anyone wants to finish above them, then they know they’re going to have to do really, really well and be a really, really good team.

“They’ve got momentum behind them. And that’s a big thing in football. You can’t overstate just how important it can be.

“Phil will be looking to use that, to ride on it. They’ve got some really good players, and you know they’re always going to give you a difficult game.”

The Blades won Tuesday’s first round Carabao Cup tie against Wrexham at Bramall Lane 4-2, despite falling behind to Will Boyle’s first-half finish.

Auston Trusty, Louie Marsh, Anis Slimane all responded for the hosts, with visiting defender Lewis Brunt also turning the ball into his own net.

Brunt, recently signed from Leicester City, was attempting to prevent Rhian Brewster from ending his near two-year drought in front of goal.

Fellow new arrival Seb Revan, acquired from Aston Villa, netted a late consolation for Wrexham who were watched by Eva Longoria when they began the new EFL campaign with a 3-2 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

A promotion specialist himself after leading United from the third to the first tier of English football during his first spell in charge of his boyhood club, Wilder added: “You know what you are going to get when you face Wrexham. They have a way of playing and they stick to it because it’s worked for them.

“They’ll go well in their division. From what I’ve seen I’m sure of that. They’re moving in the right direction, and they’ll be looking to continue on that journey.”

With Ollie Rathbone, Dan Scarr, Callum Burton and George Dobson among those also completing moves to north Wales, Parkinson will be quietly confident of competing towards the summit of a division which also contains big names such as Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers.

The Dragons have signed more than ten players in the summer window and have made their intentions for more success blatantly clear.

Wilder first got to know Parkinson when they both found themselves on the books of Southampton as youngsters.

“Phil knows his way around the game, and he’s got people around him who do too,” Wilder said. “They’re familiar faces and have quality players around them.”