'It was almost like...' - Phil Parkinson makes shock Birmingham City and Wrexham transfer revelation
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has opened up on several transfer battles with Birmingham City.
Parkinson was repetitive about the extent of Blues’ spending after Wrexham lost 3-1 at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Monday night and even admitted it’s “impossible” to compete.
The Dragons’ head coach also revealed that there were several occasions when transfer targets were swept up in front of their noses by Birmingham, with Blues’ far greater spending power making it tricky to convince players to make the move to The Racecourse instead.
A gulf in quality was crystal clear on Monday as Birmingham responded to Wrexham’s early goal and dominated the match from about the 15th minute onwards. The hosts kept the visitors resorted to their own half for much of the game, passing the ball around with a swagger and finding three goals through Jay Stansfield’s brace and a Tomoki Iwata belter.
If anything, Stansfield, who cost Blues a reported £13 million from Fulham on deadline day, added fuel to Parkinson’s fire to bemoan the contrast in transfer budgets.
“Everybody knows they’ve spent more than any other team outside the Premiership, so they’ve got good quality players,” Parkinson said. “Birmingham had an extraordinary opportunity this summer with the resources they had, every player we were going for they were going for, outbidding us and offering more wages!
“It was almost like let Birmingham sign all the players they want and everyone else will look at what else is out there. No one can compete in this division with Birmingham. It would be madness for us - as we’re on a journey to be sustainable as a football club - to say we could compete with Birmingham’s spending, it’s impossible.”
Parkinson’s complaints over Blues’ finances were to be expected but the comment about seeing transfer targets pinched came as a surprise as there was only one Birmingham signing linked with Wrexham – Marc Leonard.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion man was rumoured to join several Championship clubs, too, so it’s not like it was only Wrexham in the race before Blues swept in to get their man. Nonetheless, it’s understandable for Parkinson to be frustrated after the first defeat of the new season.