A Wrexham director has lifted the lid on the stringent player world of manager Phil Parkinson, who closely reflects Mikel Arteta's approach at Arsenal
Wrexham -Baas Phil Parkinson has a golden rule when signing new players who reflect the approach to Arsenal's Mikel Arteta. The former manager of Sunderland and Bradford has provided unprecedented success since he was in charge of the Welsh side in July 2021.
Supported by the money of Hollwood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney, Parkinson has reached three consecutive promotions and lifted the Red Dragons from the National League to the championship. The critics of Wrexham often use their wealth as a reason to pour cold water on their performance.
Club director Shaun Harvey has now gave a slight to the extensive homework that Parkinson's does before bringing in new recruits. Just like the strict non -negotharbles that Arteta has set out with regard to the personalities of players in Arsenal, Wrexham has a company “No D ****** S” policy.
Harvey has lifted the lid on the secret to the proven methods of the club in the transfer market while appearing on ex-Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster's Fozcast Podcast.
“We still have what most people would recognize as a more traditional model, where the manager is all the things,” said the former EFL director. “He helps players to recruit, identify players and ultimately from a football perspective, Phil has the ultimate registration.
“It is cut around Wrexham as Phil's D ******* test. Will he fit, or will he make the dressing room culture upset? The dressing room culture plays such a major role in the success of each team so that background controls will be done. Some will be good, some will be bad.
“The bad ones, you don't take any further and you leave them on one side. The best player signing sessions are who are probably discussed that little more open with a group of people who have no other interest than the success of the football club.”
Wrexham has so far made six signing sessions this summer, initially in Plyan Hardie Hardie, Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward and Empoli Left-back Liberato Cacace in the months since obtaining promotion from League One. They also added Bolton captain George Thomason, former Sheffield on Wednesday ahead of Josh Windswass and Nottingham Forest -midfielder Lewis O'Brien this week.
The strict focus of Parkinson's on prioritizing the right type of character is very similar to the ethos of Arteta in Arsenal. The Spaniard has explained the high demands that he sets for incoming players on various occasions.
In 2022 he said with Amazon Prime Sportvideo: “We have to make many good decisions around the club and when we are talking about non-negotiation, it is about the values that must be installed. If someone is going to damage the values and surroundings, they cannot be part of the club.
“When we set the goals, we have concluded a compromise that only the best people and the best players come through this door. And if you can't recruit that, it's better not to recruit.”
Arteta further expanded his requirements and told the Podcast in Blazer's Podcast: “I will try to recruit players that we can all feel that they are part of us, and they can convey the values and ideas that we have in the club.
“First of all, they have to love the game, and someone who loves winning. They have to love the club, so they must be willing to participate with us for the right reasons, and then characters who can supplement what we already have and offer what we don't have.”