Parkinson eyes progress as Wrexham meet top clubs

Parkinson eyes progress as Wrexham meet top clubsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Phil Parkinson celebrated five years in charge of Wrexham this month Published2 minutes agoCommentsWrexham are set for a quartet of friendlies against Premier League opponents with Phil Parkinson confident his side will be better prepared for the Championship in 2026-27 than they were last season.Parkinson's squad are building towards a second successive campaign in the second tier having narrowly missed out on the play-offs last May.Their pre-season campaign features fixtures against stellar opposition, with Wrexham meeting Manchester United in Finland this Saturday (16:00 BST) before they face Leeds United, Liverpool and Sunderland in the United States.Parkinson says eye-catching pre-season games are "part and parcel" of life at Wrexham thanks to the club's elevation in status since their Hollywood takeover in 2021.And the Red Dragons boss regards this year's warm-ups as a chance to iron out some of the issues last season.Latest Wrexham news, analysis and fan viewsYour guide to Welsh football's pre-season fixturesPublished3 days agoListen to the latest Wrexham interviews, news and discussion on BBC SoundsAttributionSoundsWrexham finished seventh in 2025-26, their first campaign in English's football's second highest division since 1982.The north Wales side improved as last season wore on, climbing into the top six for the first time in late January and never dropping lower than seventh throughout the remainder of the campaign.Wrexham's poorest form came during the early part of the season, with only 10 points coming from their opening 10 games.Parkinson believes the slow start was thanks in part to the disruption caused by an overhaul of his playing staff last summer – and says there is more to come from what is now a more settled squad."I feel with us that we have improvement in the group because a lot of the lads came in lat...