<\/p>\n
Wrexham\u2019s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac are about to face their biggest test yet after the Red Dragons agonisingly missed the Championship playoffs on the final day of the season.<\/p>\n
Wrexham drew 2-2 at home to playoff bound Middlesborough on Saturday night Australian time, but Hull City leapfrogged them into sixth with a 2-1 win at home to Norwich City.<\/p>\n
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Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n It looked like an Australian might help Wrexham keep their Premier League dream as Mohamed Toure scored the opening goal of the game for Norwich.<\/p>\n Things turned south quickly for Wrexham, however, as Hull fought back while Middlesborough and their Australian midfielder Riley McGree held firm to deny Reynolds and Mac\u2019s club a playoff place.<\/p>\n After three straight promotions Wrexham have quickly gone from a non-league club to a playoff contender in the English second tier – 43 years after they were last so high up the pyramid.<\/p>\n The Welsh club\u2019s rise has been astronomical, but it did not stop tears being shed at the Racecourse Ground after the final whistle on the weekend.<\/p>\n Reynolds took to social media post-game to share his heartbreak, writing: \u201cI am completely gutted by today\u2019s result but incredibly proud of our season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way in five years and this was the best result in our 150+ year history,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cMore to do. But for now, we have so much to be proud of, Reds.\u201d<\/p>\n As the end of this season showed, getting over the final hurdle to reach the Premier League is one of the toughest things to do in the sport.<\/p>\n Former Watford striker Troy Deeney, who was with the club when they were promoted to the flight in 2015 and when they were relegated back to the Championship in 2020, believes now will be the real test of Reynolds and Mac\u2019s mettle.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually think this is going to be the real making to see how they are as owners,\u201d Deeney said on Paramount+.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause everything has been, not smooth, but simple. Throw a load of money at it, buy players from the league above, go up, get promoted.\u201d<\/p>\n Off the pitch, the American actors are ticking all the right boxes.<\/p>\n Their home stadium\u2019s new grandstand will be completed next season allowing them to bring in more revenue from ticket sales.<\/p>\n The popular documentary \u2018Welcome to Wrexham\u2019, which has given the club a fanbase around the world, has been extended for another three seasons.<\/p>\n While Reynolds and Mac recently sold shares in the club at a whopping US$475m (A$664m) valuation<\/a> after purchasing it for US$2 million (A$2.8m) in 2021.<\/p>\n That financial success brings added pressure, however.<\/p>\n The Hollywood duo have never shied away from their ambition being to reach the Premier League.<\/p>\n People no doubt snickered when they said so at their first press conference after taking ownership five years ago.<\/p>\n But now, it is looking extremely plausible.<\/p>\n The Times\u2019 chief correspondent Martin Samuel believes it is inevitable even though they were clearly not quite ready this year.<\/p>\n The accomplished football journalist even said that if they had have reached the playoffs this season, they would have become the first team to do so from sixth place since Blackpool in 2009\/10.<\/p>\n \u201cAll they needed to do was beat Middlesborough at home. I know Middlesborough are a good team, but if they beat Middlesborough, they\u2019re up,\u201d Samuel told Sky Sports. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t beat Middlesborough at home for you life, you\u2019re probably not ready for the Premier League.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, maybe another year in the Championship is what Wrexham need.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re gonna be contenders next year again. I\u2019m absolutely certain of that.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever comes down from the Premier League have got Wrexham to deal with. They\u2019ve got this club who are now super ambitious, that has got the weight of a country behind it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you look at the Wrexham support in America, it\u2019s got a massive advantage still from a lot of clubs in the Championship.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I would say, inevitably, Wrexham will end up in the Premier League.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/p>\n \u2018Completely gutted\u2019: Hollywood star\u2019s Wrexham\u2019s dream shattered in $250m reality<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018What you need at a World Cup\u2019: Big hint over Socceroos squad as lifeline for icons emerges<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018Unbelievable\u2019: PL title race swings AGAIN as blunder sparks City \u2018implosion\u2019 in six-goal thriller<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n If Samuel\u2019s prediction is to come true, they need to nail several key decisions during this off season, however.<\/p>\n The Championship\u2019s decision to expand the playoffs from four teams to six next season – involving teams finished third to eighth – means it is easier to get to the cut-throat end of the season.<\/p>\n But it does not change that only three team will be promoted to the Premier League.<\/p>\n Deeney believes Wrexham will need to look deeply at everything.<\/p>\n From whether manager Phil Parkinson, who has overseen the rise from the fifth tier, remains with the club to the types of players they spent their money on in the transfer window.<\/p>\n Callum Doyle signed from Manchester City before the start of the season after loan spells with Norwich, Leicester City, Coventry and Sunderland on a four-year deal and was named in the Championship team of the season.<\/p>\n But Deeney believes Doyle did not fix their defensive problems.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got into so many shootouts this year because they\u2019ve been coming from behind,\u201d Deeney said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve spent \u00a350 million. They spent \u00a310 million on Doyle, centre back. I wouldn\u2019t say there\u2019s a \u00a310 million player there that\u2019s organising that backline saying, \u2018right, we\u2018re defensively solid\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThey get into shootouts, but now, the question to starting asking: is this manager, who I think is fantastic, is he the guy to get us promoted?<\/p>\n \u201cHow much more did we need to spend on players now?<\/p>\n \u201cIs this the right style to get us promoted?<\/p>\n \u201cAll of these questions start to raise their head now.\u201d<\/p>\n Former West Ham and Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker replied: \u201cThere\u2019ll be a re-evaluation of everything.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have ambition of getting to the Premier League. That is the main goal, whatsoever.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you start to look around. You start to think who can get us in there. There will be questions of the manager.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll know his under pressure. He was supposed to get them to the Premier League.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at it, I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s going to happen, but you look at Scott Parker now. No longer at Burnley.<\/p>\n \u201cScott Parker\u2019s a manager that has a history of getting clubs promoted.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, that could be a manager to fit the mould to say \u2018right, he\u2019s done it before\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/p>\n PL Talking Pts \u2014 \u2018Didn\u2019t see it coming\u2019: Spurs shock flips survival script; why Utd circus could finally end <\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Whispers \u2014 Aussie linked with record $32.5m PL move as Euro clubs circle<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n In terms of their squad, Wrexham will be aggressive in the transfer market once again.<\/p>\n They may lose Doyle.<\/p>\n Manchester City inserted a buy back clause in the sale of the 22-year-old.<\/p>\n With England centre back Jon Stones departing the club at season\u2019s end and Nathan Ake linked to a move, there is a good chance City could recall him to boost their squad depth.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a really quality player. I think he\u2019s got everything,\u201d Doyle\u2019s defensive partner and Scotland international Dom Hyam said. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s technically so calm. He\u2019s a beast as well, and he\u2019s young.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019ll unfortunately attract some big clubs. It\u2019s obviously out of our hands, but he\u2019s got a big future.\u201d<\/p>\n Wrexham will also need to attract new signings for other areas of the park.<\/p>\n Josh Windass, who joined Wrexham from Sheffield Wednesday as a free agent at the start of the season, was the club\u2019s leading goal scorer with 17 across all competitions.<\/p>\n He almost single-handedly lifted them to the playoffs with seven goals in the final eight league games and won the club\u2019s player of the season award.<\/p>\n But former Wrexham player and manager Brian Flynn told BBC Sport that the likes of Windass need more support.<\/p>\n \u201cI think they need at least three or four players. Is that a major overhaul? I don\u2019t think so,\u201d he told BBC Radio Wales Sport.<\/p>\n \u201cHe does like employing strikers, that\u2019s for certain, Phil does do that.<\/p>\n \u201cIn all other areas of the pitch, I think they\u2019re well served.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got players like [Dom] Hyam, he\u2019s been excellent all season. He\u2019s been a really good signing.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayers like Ollie Rathbone have come up with important goals, Josh Windass is a Championship player, so they will definitely come back stronger and better next season, without a shadow of a doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n Wrexham will no doubt be looking at add a harder edge to the squad.<\/p>\n Upon reflection, they missed the playoffs after dropping too many points to lower teams throughout the season.<\/p>\n Along side beating Nottingham Forest and taking Chelsea to extra time in the FA Cup, Wrexham\u2019s best performances of the season came with wins at home against champions Coventry and fellow promoted side Ipswich Town.<\/p>\n But they dropped points at home to relegated pair Sheffield Wednesday, who won just two of 46 games for the season, and Leicester City.<\/p>\n The latter came as they conceded a 90th minute equaliser.<\/p>\n Leicester are also a great cautionary tale for Wrexham if a club gets key financial decisions wrong.<\/p>\n A decade ago, the Foxes were Premier League champions.<\/p>\n Claudio Ranieri\u2019s side overcome 5000-to-1 odds at the start of the season to deliver perhaps the greatest miracle triumph in modern sport.<\/p>\n But they will be playing in League One next season following a second straight relegation.<\/p>\n Leicester\u2019s financial mismanagement plunged the club into a nasty downward spiral.<\/p>\n