Phil Parkinson is hoping Wrexham can buck the unusual trend of Championship sides struggling in seasons after they have narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

Over the previous 15 second-tier campaigns, only one side have achieved a top-half finish – when Middlesbrough came fourth in 2022-23 – in the year after finishing seventh in the Championship.

Wrexham ended up seventh last season – the club’s highest ever league finish – as they lost out on a top-six place following a 2-2 draw with Boro on the final day.

The Red Dragons currently sit 17th having claimed just 14 of the 36 points on offer so far this season.

“I think that there’s obviously a stat of teams who’ve been in the play-offs can find it tough, but you look at Derby, they just missed out as well, how they’ve struggled,” said Parkinson.

“Whether that [mental toughness] is a factor or not… Of course, as much as there was a pride that in our first season in the Championship we’d got to seventh, the highest position the club had ever finished, on the last day of the season there was an opportunity which slipped away from us.

“But it’s up to us to buck the trend of that.”

Despite Wrexham’s slow start to the campaign, they have the same number of points now as they did at the same stage last term.

Parkinson’s team are bidding to respond to last weekend’s 2-0 loss at Blackburn Rovers when they return to action against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Friday (20:00 GMT).

The Blades fixture comes almost exactly five years on from the day co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac attended their first Wrexham match.

The Hollywood pair watched on as Parkinson’s side – then in the National League – were beaten 3-2 at Maidenhead United in October 2021.

Having masterminded three promotions and the club’s highest-ever league finish since being appointed in the summer of 2021, Parkinson stated that Wrexham’s upcoming opponents serve as a reminder of the immense progress made during his tenure.

“I think this week alone, it’s Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Wolves – what a week for everyone connected with the club to look forward to,” he added.

“Five years ago, when Rob and Ryan came to Maidenhead away, that was an eventful game to say the least.

“It was a great introduction for them into the world of the National League. Then they came up at the weekend [for a draw with Torquay], which was a fantastic occasion for them to be at the Racecourse.”