Wrexham suffer promotion blow to give Rob McElhenney headache over bad habit

25 February 2024 , 12:30

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Rob McElhenney won't like the look of the League Two table (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Wrexham suffered a 1-0 away defeat to Gillingham on Saturday as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side slipped out of the automatic promotion places in League Two.

It is a sixth defeat in eight games in all competitions for The Red Dragons and one that has seen them drop to fourth in the table. Striker Paul Mullin, who started the game on the bench today, is also without a goal in seven games.

Speaking after Saturday's loss to Gillingham, boss Phil Parkinson said: "Disappointed to lose the game. I thought we dominated for long periods. We had enough situations where we need to make more of the crosses or possession in and around the box.

"As a group we need to rediscover that killer extinct because in the last few weeks we've played well. Today was a good, controlled away performance. We put into place a lot of what we said we want to do but as everyone knows football is about having that clinical ruthlessness in the final third. We didn't show that enough today."

After a shaky start to the season, Parkinson's side went on a strong run to ascend to second in the league. But disappointing results of late has seen confidence knocked.

Ryan Reynolds mispronounces name of new Wrexham signing in hilarious video

Wrexham are still very much in the hunt for automatic promotion with Stockport also enduring an equally bad run of form. Wrexham are four points behind league leaders Mansfield, who are level on points with Stockport on 53, and only two behind third-placed Crewe.

Parkinson, however, will want to put a stop to this form before his side drops any further down the table. Though Wrexham do still have some room between themselves and today's victors. Seventh-placed Gillingham occupy the last playoff spot and are now eight points behind.

Wrexham suffered defeat at the hands of Gillingham (PA)

This information won't have escaped co-owner and Hollywood superstar Rob McElhenney. The Always Sunny star confessed he has a bad habit of staring at the league table on a rather regular basis.

Earlier in the season, and with Wrexham in second, the actor posted on X: "I’m back to just staring at the table again running scenarios. I took the whole first half of season off of that practice."

And his diligence has also been noted by that of Ben Foster. The former Wrexham goalkeeper revealed McElhenney is the one out of the two Hollywood owners who draws up the masterplan.

"Rob is the brains behind it, Rob is fully in," said Foster. "Don't get me wrong they're both fully in but Rob, you can tell this is his baby, genuinely it's his baby, Wrexham is."

"Ryan, I think at first he joined along for the ride and was like, 'Yeah I'll help you out.' And then he's fallen head over heels in for it as well," Foster added. "He's a bit more relaxed, whereas Rob is, 'No, we want to do something here.'"

Naturally, Wrexham will be vying for back-to-back automatic promotions following their win of the National League and will want to avoid any unnecessary drama of playoffs.

Thomas Bristow