Furious Phil Parkinson shares one-word Wrexham transfer update after Birmingham City defeat

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson had just one word to say when asked if he expected his side to be busy in the remainder of the transfer window.

The Welsh side were beaten 2-1 by Birmingham City at home on Friday evening, and Parkinson was asked if he expected to be busy between now and the end of the window.

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He simply said, ‘possibly’ and also wouldn’t be drawn on speculation linking them with an ambitious move for Pavel Sulc.

Wrexham are now winless in four at the start of the season with the club expecting to push on this year.

They started the campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup, and there have been two draws against Cardiff City and Watford.

And this evening, they lost to Birmingham, who arrived off the back of a 6-1 defeat to Brentford earlier in the week in the Carabao Cup.

The away side opened the scoring early on as Phil Neumann headed home from Alex Cochrane’s corner.

And Neumann scored again in the second half from a recycled throw-in that he headed home unmarked in the box.

Callum Doyle had brought the hosts level, but after Neumann scored again, they didn’t look like getting back into the contest.

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Speaking in his post-match interview, Parkinson was asked about Sulc joining, and he said: “We get linked with so many players, but at this moment in time, I am just processing the game, but we’ll start tomorrow morning and think of where to go.”

On the match itself, he said: “Two of the softest goals we’ve conceded in all my time here.

“I thought we lacked conviction in our play tonight. We got better and equalised, which is why I am so annoyed with the second goal because we started really well.

“We looked like a team that was looking around for someone else to make something happen rather than take responsibility, and that’s not us.

“There is a lot of talk around the transfer window and uncertainty. I told the lads at half-time that I wanted them to play with more belief and conviction.

“When we get the hard yards to get a cross in, I want more bodies in there. We had numerous chances to shoot from the edge of the area and didn’t. I am hugely disappointed and can’t hide away from that.

“In football, you can’t feel sorry for yourself, and I felt like we looked like that tonight for some reason because no one is going to help you. We’ve got to come out hard and fighting at Millwall.”

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Can only get better

The defending that Parkinson references certainly did leave plenty to be desired.

The first goal was simply an inswinging corner that looped over the top of everyone and dropped onto Neumann’s head, and he nodded home.

The second goal was even worse as August Priske launched a long throw into the box.

Kieffer Moore cleared it back to the forward, who volleyed a cross back into the area.

Neumann peeled off his man and glanced home unmarked from close range.

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Sulc latest

The latest reports suggest that Sulc is a target for Wrexham to become their club-record signing.

The 25-year-old scored 14 goals in all competitions last year for Lyon, and he played in their season opener against Toulouse.

And European football expert Andy Brassell believes that Sulc would become the best player in the Championship if he makes the move.

Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com, Brassell said: “Lyon paid €7.5million, and he has just been a massive, massive hit. When you look at the sort of players who traditionally thrive in France, he probably shouldn’t have been one.

“He’s a forward player, traditionally a second striker. He was sold as an attacking midfielder, but he played as a second striker or false nine. He’s done it so well, considering he’s built like a sparrow. 

“He’s had a lot of attention from defenders, but he’s smart enough to avoid it.

“He makes great runs. He’s technically very adept and considering that he’s not the biggest guy, it’s actually quite difficult to shove off the ball. 

“I think you’d look at someone of that height and build and you’d think, he’s not going to do it in the Championship.

“But I think he would. I really think he would. In terms of technical quality, he would be, if not the best player in the division, pretty close because he was one of the better players in Ligue 1 last season. 

“They say don’t judge people by their friends. Well, firstly, you really should judge people by their friends. Secondly, the way he clicked with Endrick was notable. 

“Technically, they’re on a level where they can just understand each other. They played really well for a bit until Sulc got injured in the back half of last season.

“That hung over the end of his season and the World Cup and his preseason. Even though he’s had his moments in all of those. 

“Bear in mind, without Sulc, they wouldn’t have got to the World Cup because he is a technically very gifted player in a quite average Czech team, if we’re talking about the standards of their best teams. They’ve had some unreal players down the years.”