How 'evolving' Wrexham are building Championship belief

Phil Parkinson's Wrexham have now lost just once in their last eight games in all competitions

As well as securing a point, Wrexham's draw at Leicester City on Tuesday night has gone a long way to making a point.

Substitute Nathan Broadhead's goal earned a point at the King Power Stadium in a fixture that served a reminder of how far Wrexham have come, given this would have been a Premier League side playing a National League club just three years ago.

At the start of September, headlines homed in on the future of manager Phil Parkinson.

An expensive recruitment drive and an inconsistent start to the season meant the Hollywood-backed newcomers to the Championship were an easy target.

Club officials made their feelings clear on what they thought of the reports, but it was always going to take results to really make a statement.

Four games without defeat since, with Wrexham inching their way up to 15th in the table, Parkinson's own belief that his side would get it right is starting to be shared by others.

"We had belief anyway, but if we don't have it after tonight then there's something wrong," Parkinson said.

"We've shown we can compete with a very technical team. There's always periods where they keep the ball but we were happy for that because we felt we could counter and hurt them. I felt we had the quality to make something happen and we did.

"They're a good side but so are we."

Which some would expect after spending more than £30m on 13 new players after promotion from League One.

But Parkinson's insistence it would take time for such an overhaul to settle down is starting to show - and be seen.

"It was always going to take a little bit of time," said midfielder Matty James. "It's completely normal to take time to come together as a team and because of how difficult the Championship actually is.

"But, little steps, we keep building on the performances."

Wrexham evolving and supporters believing

Wrexham fans made their first trip to the King Power Stadium, with the side's last trip to Leicester coming when the Foxes were still at Filbert Street

Step by step, Wrexham's new faces are getting into a stride.

The late additions in the summer recruitment window – with Dom Hyam from Blackburn Rovers unbeaten since his arrival and Issa Kabore on loan from Manchester City a real threat from wide – have given Wrexham the extra depth and options Parkinson admitted he was lacking amidst injury when they dropped points against Sheffield Wednesday.

"I feel we're definitely evolving as a team," said Parkinson. "I think tonight you saw the impact from the bench which was really important for us."

Those who have seen Wrexham in previous promotion seasons would have recognised the hallmarks of organisation and attitude on display at Leicester.

But it is quality at this level that will make the difference, which is one of the reasons the club broke their transfer record to bring former Wrexham trainee Broadhead home from Ipswich for £7.5m.

"Broady has got a little bit of magic. He's a dangerous player with a capital D," was Parkinson's summary.

Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes had told his players their one-goal lead was not going to be enough, citing "arrogance" as a factor for "throwing away two points".

Wrexham proved his point with a performance that handled the vast majority of what one of the promotion favourites threw at them, and showed they can be a match on their own terms.

It had a coming of age feel to things and had Parkinson sensing fans "are starting to believe in us".

Added James: "It's probably our best result for us as a club to show the belief we have, to come and put in a performance like that.

"It's important we now back that up against Birmingham."

The hype of the so-called Hollywood derby - with NFL great Tom Brady a Birmingham backer - is to come on Friday night, a game that will inevitably see the spotlight return to both Wrexham and their manager who knows not all will share his belief.

But, quietly, Parkinson will be happy enough should his side keep making his point for him.