Coady voices support for Wrexham's potential to cause chaos and disturb the Championship ranks
Wrexham, under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have made an ambitious start to their first Championship season in over four decades. The Welsh club has been strengthening their squad with experienced players, one of whom is Conor Coady, a former Premier League and Championship stalwart [1][4].
Coady, who joined Wrexham this summer alongside Lewis O'Brien, Liberato Cacace, and Kieffer Moore, has expressed his enthusiasm about contributing to the club's new challenge at this higher level. He believes that his team is capable of "upsetting and disrupting" several teams in the Championship this season, even challenging established teams like Southampton [1].
The club's manager, Phil Parkinson, has praised Coady's addition to the squad, acknowledging his valuable Premier League and Championship experience as a boost to Wrexham's chances in the league [1][2]. Wrexham's ambitious recruitment strategy, which includes breaking transfer records and signing high-profile players, suggests a goal beyond mere survival, aiming to establish themselves solidly and compete well in the Championship [2][4].
However, the Opta supercomputer predicts a challenging start for Wrexham, with a 2.8% probability of automatic promotion for the 2025-26 season and a 20.2% chance of being relegated back to League One in pre-season scenarios [3]. According to Opta's Power Rankings model, Wrexham have the ninth-toughest start to the season among the 24 Championship clubs [3].
Despite these predictions, Coady remains optimistic, stating that the team's biggest priority is to keep improving and getting better. He encourages the team to take it one game at a time while enjoying the experience of competing against top-tier teams [1]. The team's owners, Reynolds and McElhenney, share this optimism, with regular improvement constituting success for Wrexham this term [2].
Wrexham will face their first test of the season on Tuesday, playing Hull City in the EFL Cup first-round tie. Their first home league game of the season will be against West Brom. The club will be looking to build on their celebratory promotion season, where they overcame three successive promotions from the National League to the Championship under the guidance of their celebrity owners [2].
References:
[1] BBC Sport. (2025, August 5). Conor Coady: Wrexham sign Wolves captain on free transfer. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62484595
[2] Sky Sports. (2025, August 5). Wrexham sign Wolves defender Conor Coady on free transfer. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12420082/wrexham-sign-wolves-defender-conor-coady-on-free-transfer
[3] The Athletic. (2025, July 30). Opta supercomputer predicts Wrexham's promotion chances for 2025-26 season. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://theathletic.com/3243151/2025/07/30/optas-supercomputer-predicts-wrexhams-promotion-chances-for-2025-26-season/
[4] The Guardian. (2025, August 5). Conor Coady: Wrexham sign Wolves captain on free transfer as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continue to build squad. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/05/conor-coady-wrexham-sign-wolves-captain-on-free-transfer-as-ryan-reynolds-and-rob-mcelhenney-continue-to-build-squad
Sports analysts predict that Wrexham, with their new signings like Conor Coady, could disrupt several teams in the European football leagues, even challenging established teams like Southampton in the Championship. Despite the predictions of a challenging start, with a 20.2% chance of being relegated back to League One, Coady remains optimistic and encourages the team to focus on improvement and taking it one game at a time.
