Phil Parkinson has explained how he handles criticism at Wrexham AFC, with the manager revealing his approach during Welcome to Wrexham Season 5 Episode 7, Touching Grass.
The episode placed Parkinson at the centre of a challenging spell in Wrexham’s push for the Championship playoffs.
It followed the high of Wrexham’s comeback win at Sheffield United, then the pain of a 5-1 defeat to Southampton and a 2-0 loss at Birmingham City.
The tough run brought more scrutiny, but Parkinson’s message remained calm and direct.
Phil Parkinson has been at the heart of Wrexham’s rise, and the episode showed the pressure that can come with that kind of progress.
The episode focuses on Parkinson trying to keep Wrexham, and himself, grounded while the club fought for a playoff position.
That theme carried through the episode, where Parkinson spoke plainly about outside noise.
“You do need to be able to deal with criticism because it inevitably comes your way. Um, how I deal with it, honestly, I don’t read anything at all. I block every bit of social media out. I say to my family, ‘I don’t want to know anything’, ‘positive or negative.’ I’m concentrating on my job to do the best of my ability.”
It is not a new approach for Parkinson, but it felt especially relevant in an episode built around pressure, setbacks and recovery.
Ryan Reynolds makes his Phil Parkinson view clear
Parkinson’s comments were shown after a bruising spell in the season, with Wrexham dropping out of the playoff places during a difficult run.
The club had earlier produced a memorable result at Bramall Lane, but the mood shifted after Southampton and Birmingham.
The episode also referenced online criticism of Parkinson, including the phrase “Parky out”.
Ryan Reynolds then offered a firm defence of his manager.
“With three successive promotions in a row, which is history. Yet there are people who are just kind of programmed to bet against this guy. I mean, what a fսcking waste of time.”
It was a blunt line, but it fitted the wider point of the episode.
Wrexham have changed quickly, and expectation has changed with them.
That same theme was picked up before the episode aired, when Season 5 Episode 7 was previewed as a Parkinson-focused instalment during a tense point in the campaign.
Wrexham still rely on Parkinson’s calm
Parkinson’s steady approach has always helped Wrexham focus on the next task, and that was especially important after the Southampton defeat.
It also mattered at Birmingham, where frustration grew again as the playoff picture tightened.
Those moments sit alongside the wider reality of Parkinson’s job, which has become more demanding with every promotion.
Supporters will always debate tactics, team selection and results. That is part of football, and Parkinson knows it.
What stood out in Touching Grass was how little he allows that noise to shape his working week.
For a club still adjusting to life at Championship level, that calm remains important.
Parkinson has taken Wrexham through historic change. His answer to criticism is simple enough, he does the job, and leaves the noise outside.
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