Wrexham welcome Chelsea to the Racecourse Ground in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday, and Phil Parkinson knows all about how to beat the Blues football's oldest cup competition
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: (L-R) Phil Parkinson the manager of Bradford City and Jose Mourinho manager of Chelsea exchange words during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Bradford City at Stamford Bridge on January 24, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: (L-R) Phil Parkinson the manager of Bradford City and Jose Mourinho manager of Chelsea exchange words during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Bradford City at Stamford Bridge on January 24, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
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Phil Parkinson has beaten Chelsea before(Image: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
It is fair to say Phil Parkinson will have his men thoroughly prepared for an extremely demanding FA Cup contest against Chelsea. And at set pieces, every one of his Wrexham players will be aware of their marking assignments.
Only Parkinson is unlikely to have referred to those tasks as ‘marking assignments,’ nor is he likely to have given his staff a philosophical breakdown of his own role. “In English, ‘manage’ - if you split the two words, it’s ‘man’ and ‘age,’ so you’re ageing men. Am I a manager or a coach? Both. Coaching is educating.”
This was Liam Rosenior, talking to his squad in a documentary filmed during his time at Strasbourg. It is easy to poke gentle fun at Rosenior’s style. Ex-keeper Ben Foster - who played for, among many clubs, Wrexham - referred to the Chelsea manager’s use of the phrase ‘marking assignment’ as ‘woke nonsense’.
But just because Rosenior is a very modern-talking manager does not make him any less genuine. There is, though, no escaping the contrast between the two bosses who will try to outwit each other at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday evening.
Old school versus new school. Parkinson might be amused by that but he might also bridle at the suggestion he is some sort of throwback.
You do not get three promotions on the spin by being some sort of throwback. You do not cope with the demands and expectations of high-profile owners by being some sort of throwback. You do not have a chance of getting into the Premier League five years after taking over at a club in the non-league by being some sort of throwback.
Parkinson, 58, has had to deal with the churn of players demanded by successive promotions and he has to deal with the attention that accompanies the Hollywood ownership. And, with respect, you don’t get football managers much less Hollywood than Parkinson.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Liam Rosenior manager/head coach of Chelsea speaks with Reece James of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park on March 04, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Liam Rosenior is three years into his managerial career(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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Which is why it probably works. “I haven’t changed much,” he says, when asked about how he has developed since taking Bradford City, then in League One, to a famous 4-2 FA Cup win at Chelsea in January, 2015.
“Myself and Steve (Parkin, his assistant) like to play with the same principles that kind of reflect what Wrexham is all about as an area - similar to when we were at Bradford. The underdog, fighting spirit has got to be there.”
After the investment from Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney), the idea of Wrexham being an underdog might raise the odd eyebrow. But as much as anything, Parkinson is probably referring to his own underdog spirit.
Considering the profile of the owners, many have been waiting for Parkinson to falter and be replaced with a high-profile name. But he has been understated and overachieving.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: Garry Liddle and Andrew Davies of Bradford celebrate at the end of the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Bradford City at Stamford Bridge on January 24, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Bradford City won 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in 2015(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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In a recent interview, Mac said: “I don’t know if I have the words to fully describe how integral Phil has been to the story and success of Wrexham. He has been the architect, the creator of this. From our perspective, he’s got the job for life … unless he finds another job he wants to go off and do.”
But Parkinson won’t get offered a big job ‘he wants to go off and do’ … because he is too old school. And that means the Wrexham feel good story could run and run.
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