Exclusive: Phil Parkinson sack talk at Wrexham AFC increases as Sky pundit reveals 'problem' he faces | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has spoken to FLW about the future of Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson after a poor start to the league campaign.

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson should be given more time to turn their early-season form around, but admits he is under pressure to match expectations in North Wales.

After becoming the first team in the top five tiers of English football to secure three consecutive promotions from the National League into the Championship, the Red Dragons have so far struggled to adapt to the stern test of the second-tier, winning just one of their opening five league games and tasting three defeats in the process.

This has left Wrexham hanging precariously over the relegation zone after a 3-1 home defeat at QPR last weekend, with results needing to change quickly for them to steer clear of the drop zone.

Such a slow start to the league campaign has naturally drawn criticism towards manager Phil Parkinson, and TalkSPORT have reported that the Wrexham hierarchy have held talks over whether to retain the 57-year-old as their manager.

With speculation continuing to linger over Parkinson’s future, Lee Hendrie has spoken to FLW about whether he sees the ex-Bolton Wanderers boss remaining in the Wrexham hotseat for much longer.

Lee Hendrie backs Phil Parkinson to turn Wrexham around but admits pressure is mounting

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes Phil Parkinson can turn Wrexham’s fortunes around, but admits the pressure is on with such high expectations at the football club.

Hendrie said: “This is the problem. You’ve got Parkinson, there’s a lot of pressure starting to mount on him. Should he be sacked, shouldn’t he be sacked?

“I don’t think so. I think how far he’s taken the football club, he should be given an opportunity.

“It’s obviously a results-based game. That is the problem. It’s a football club, like Birmingham City with Chris Davies. You invest, bring big players into the club, got to be able to manage and take the club forward, and it hasn’t quite hit off for Wrexham at the moment and that’s where the unfortunate thing is.

"You've got big owners that want to take the club to the next level. I don’t like to see sackings when managers have done very well. Phil’s done a great job there, but it might be that they have to go to that next level to try and get themselves into the Premier League.

“He’s definitely going to be under pressure, there’s no doubt, as results aren’t going their way.”

Phil Parkinson has to overcome Wrexham test quickly

It doesn’t get much easier over the coming weeks for Phil Parkinson and Wrexham as they undergo a trip to Norwich City this weekend, followed by a crucial home tie at Derby County, who are too situated towards the bottom end of the division.

At the end of September, the Welsh outfit travel to the King Power Stadium to face promotion hopefuls Leicester City, while October is kicked off with a blockbuster clash against American-owned counterparts Birmingham City.

If a healthy amount of points aren't collected in that time, then Wrexham will be firmly in a relegation scrap, something that certainly wasn’t the target after significant funding into the playing squad.

If this is the case, then the Wrexham hierarchy will definitely be debating a change, so it’s crucial Parkinson gets a tune out of his squad before then to remain in his role and carry on the brilliant work he’s done so far.

It’s another test to overcome in Parkinson’s coaching career, and the next few games will show if he is the right man to lead the club forward any further.