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Rob Mac says Phil Parkinson has "earned a lot of wiggle room" as the Wrexham manager faces renewed scrutiny.
The Red Dragons have had a tough beginning to the new Championship campaign, claiming just one victory from their first seven games and suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat away to West Ham United in their most recent outing.
Wrexham will be looking to respond emphatically when they welcome Southampton to the Racecourse Ground this weekend, with Parkinson knowing that a single win could significantly shift the atmosphere around the club. The 58-year-old has firmly cemented himself as a club legend after guiding them to three consecutive promotions, while last season's seventh-place Championship finish was the highest in the club's 162-year history.
Despite his accomplishments, Parkinson has faced criticism from some quarters who feel Wrexham should be performing far better given the level of investment made in the squad. The Welsh club splashed $48 million on seven new recruits over the summer but have struggled to hit their stride in the early stages of the new campaign.
Rob Mac Backs Phil Parkinson as Wrexham Manager
Mac and fellow co-chairman Ryan Reynolds previously declared that Parkinson had a "job for life" at Wrexham, a pledge that could face a real test if the team's poor form continues much longer.
The Wrexham ownership would ideally like to afford the manager as much time as needed to turn things around at the Racecourse Ground, though all parties acknowledge that the expectations are now considerably higher following the club's substantial investment in its push for Premier League promotion.
Parkinson has faced intensified pressure in the wake of the recent thrashing by West Ham, yet Mac continues to stand firmly behind the manager who steered Wrexham from the National League to the Championship in just three years.
In an interview recorded during the summer but only recently made public, Mac addressed the scrutiny surrounding the Wrexham manager and outlined why the owners would not act hastily in making any managerial change.
"I always give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise," Mac told That Wrexham Podcast. "Phil has earned a lot of wiggle room. When I look at how quickly managers get sacked, not just in English football, but across all sports worldwide, every league. Managers are dismissed so fast. Phil is one of the longest-serving coaches and it has only been five years.
"In American sport, it is far more common to give someone the space and time needed to build a winning club. Sometimes coaches come and go within a year or two, but often they stay for a decade, particularly when they have sustained success. If you have a strong culture and a truly great person, but results aren't going your way, that will eventually become a problem. It is still a business; it is still sport.
"Phil has demonstrated time and again that he can win at every level, so far. So I see no reason why he shouldn't have as much room as possible over the coming years to keep proving that."
Why Mac Only Speaks to Parkinson When Wrexham Lose
It was after Wrexham's heavy defeat to Stockport County three years ago this month that Mac immediately texted Parkinson with a reassuring message that read: "Phil, we are right behind you." By the end of that season, both Wrexham and Stockport County had earned promotion from League Two.
It would come as little surprise if he did something similar last week, following the criticism directed at Parkinson after the 6–0 drubbing at the hands of West Ham.
"People are constantly questioning Phil," Mac added. "I never reach out to Phil when we're winning, ever. I contact him after a defeat to remind him that he's doing a fantastic job and that he has our full support.
"That's when I get in touch with him. I've noticed throughout my life that when you're winning, everyone is texting you, everyone is calling you. When things go well, that's when everyone wants to be your friend. Then something goes wrong — and it happens to every person on the planet. You're losing, or you've lost something, or something difficult is happening, and suddenly there's silence. It's a strange thing about human nature, isn't it?
"I try to identify the moments when I know he's at his lowest, and that's when I reach out. I do that with players, I do that with my friends, I do that with business associates too — because that's when you need to hear from the people who care about you, that they have your back."