Tony Pulis has praised Wrexham’s coaching staff and players for remaining focused on football amidst the ‘circus’ the Hollywood owners have created.
The Welsh club has skyrocketed in popularity across the world since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought them, exciting fans with their ambitious plans. Wrexham were sitting stagnant in the National League before the A-list celebrities gained ownership, and have since clinched back-to-back promotions to compete in EFL’s League One this season.
Despite the money and popularity that the Hollywood duo have brought to Wales, ex-Premier League boss Pulis has claimed that the manager Phil Parkinson deserves more credit for his part in the club’s success.
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Speaking to Betway, the 66-year-old said: “Phil Parkinson and the coaching staff at Wrexham have been fantastic because it’s been like a circus at times with everything that has gone on off the pitch.
“What they’ve done and the way they’ve conducted themselves in respect of winning football matches has been fantastic and Phil deserves a lot of credit alongside his coaching staff who have so much experience.”
Pulis, who managed 322 games in the top-flight and had several spells in the EFL, also warned that League One will be a challenge for Wrexham this year as the difficulty in opposition will only continue to increase. He said: “They deserve hell of a lot of credit for keeping all the players focused on those results, that’s everything. It’s a new challenge for them, it’s another step up, it’ll be interesting to see how they cope with it.”
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Reynolds and McElhenney have also produced three seasons of a documentary titled ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, which captured the club’s journey following their takeover and their resounding success. The series charts their journey from the National League to League One, shining a spotlight on Wrexham as both a club and a community.
Pulis also added that he is interested to see how Reynolds and McElhenney will handle setbacks, considering how impressive the club has been since 2022.
He added: “What will also be interesting, it’ll be interesting to see what the owners are like when they lose a few games and they might do that this year with the level of opposition going up.”