Wrexham's Heavy Defeat: Phil Parkinson's Call for Accountability

Phil Parkinson did not try to dress it up. A 6-0 defeat at West Ham United, he admitted, sits among the lowest moments of his Wrexham reign.

His side were blown away at London Stadium, outpaced and overpowered by a West Ham team in full flow. The gulf showed. So did the hurt.

Parkinson did not spare himself.

"Everyone had to take ownership of the performance, including myself," he said, insisting the blame would not be pushed onto players alone. "We're going to make sure we have that accountability as individuals and as staff – and we will do."

The scoreline was brutal. The message in the aftermath was just as clear. Wrexham, he said, must react – and fast.

"We'll respond and we've got to put the ingredients back in place very quickly to put in a better performance than we did tonight," he said.

For a manager who has overseen promotions, giant-killings and a global spotlight, this was a different kind of test. Parkinson admitted this was the first time his Wrexham side had looked fragile when it truly counted.

"Tonight is the first night where we looked like we had a soft centre when it really mattered most and we've got to rediscover that," he said.

The outside perception is that Wrexham’s rise under Parkinson has been smooth, almost scripted. He pushed back hard on that idea.

"We've had other days that have been really, really tough and everyone thinks it's been a complete bed of roses since I've been here," he said. "We've had setbacks and each season I've been here we've had periods where it's not been going well and from the outside the team can look a little lost.

"And then we've rediscovered what we're all about as a side."

That, again, is the task. Strip things back. Remember what made them hard to beat. Find their edge.