Phil Parkinson takes criticism for Wrexham’s 2-1 defeat to Cardiff in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round on Tuesday night.
The Bluebirds advanced to the quarter-finals, Yousef Salech’s early close-range tap-in which the visitors a deserved lead, before Kieffer Moore levelled with a header early in the second half, only for Will Fish to volley home the winner in the 71st minute.
The result sees Cardiff advance into the last eight of the competition for the first time since reaching the final during the 2011-12 season.
Phil Parkinson said: “We were off the pace first half. That’s probably an understatement. We didn’t close down with enough aggression or intent, and made it too easy for them.
“Then second half I thought the changes got us back in the game, and I felt we could go on and win the game but we probably didn’t produce the right decisions at the right time in that top third of the pitch.
“We’re hugely disappointed. We knew it was an important night for us, the supporters.
“We’ve had lots of praise over the years and we’ll take the criticism, myself included, for going out the cup tonight.
“We made a lot of changes and I’m sure everybody will be analysing that, like myself, but I did it for the reasons I thought were the right ones with the schedule we’ve got coming up.”
Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy said: “It was a tough game for us but we played in the way that we wanted to play from minute one, and I suppose showed our character and our skill level throughout the course of the game.
“So very satisfying and immensely proud of the whole club.
“It’s a new experience for me and I think it’s very exciting for the players.
“I think you have a choice at the start of this competition how seriously you want to take it, and when you do take it as seriously as we have done you’re always hopeful of progressing as far as you can.
“The uncertain nature of who you’re going to face in the next round is what makes it so exciting.
“I’d love to be back at our own stadium. You’ve seen the distance our supporters have had to travel in midweek to Burnley and here tonight. For them it would be great if we get back to our home stadium, which would be a great occasion for us all.”
Cardiff’s Rubin Colwill, speaking to Sky Sports: “Amazing. A massive game for us – north v south and it was brilliant.”
“Our press was fantastic – we took the ball off them and that’s where the first goal came from.
“I have never had a cup run since I have been here. The fans are loving it and we’re loving it.
“A brilliant night and credit to everyone involved.”
Iwan Roberts told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: “It was brilliant, there wasn’t an empty seat in Stok Cae Ras.
“I think over 1,000 Cardiff fans had made the journey from south Wales. There was a bit of banter going on north versus south as you’d expect.
“Cardiff were absolutely exceptional from the first whistle to the last – they played well at Burnley on the 20th of September [knocking out the Premier League side in the previous round].
“First half [at Wrexham] it was men versus boys. Wrexham, they just didn’t know how to handle Cardiff. They got that good early start with the early goal from Yusef Salech.
“They could have had more in the first half. Rubin Colwill smashed a free-kick against the bar. Callum Burton produced an outstanding save from Cian Ashford.
“It could have been three at half-time, to be fair. Phil [Parkinson, Wrexham manager] went to his bench at the start of the second half, he brought on Josh Windass, Kieffer Moore and Matty James.
“A momentum change – they got that early goal to equalise, but I have to say, the way they responded and the composure that the young Cardiff lads showed after conceding that equaliser, it was great to see from a Cardiff point of view, and fully deserved.
“They had more shots, twice as many shots on target. I think they had three times as many corners as Wrexham. So no luck involved – fully deserved to go through to the quarter-finals.”
Here’s how fans reacted as Phil Parkinson takes criticism for Wrexham’s 2-1 defeat to Cardiff in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round…
@I_Hopkins1: stick that on your documentary 😘😘
@JonesSion: Haven’t seen us get absolutely battered like that at home for a long long time. So many players off the pace and the performance lacked any kind of cohesion. Fair play Cardiff were outstanding.
@dezroberts1: Absolutely gutless & embarrassing performance. Only Burton comes out with any credit from that tonight. Serious questions need to be had with PP. Credit where credits due though, Cardiff play some great football. Maybe we should take note
@keevs_89: You know it was bad last night when everyone is still seething at the performance. We seem to have lost that fight and willingness to chase a lost cause, which you couldn’t buy a few seasons ago. We look to be paying the price of recent success! #WxmAFC 🔴⚪️
@SGC501: Wrexham fans booing at full time 🤣🤣 so entitled, remember where you were a few years ago. You were beaten by the better side there, get over it
@PeersRyan: Cardiff the better side for 90 mins. We got exactly what we deserved. No ideas slack passing very poor. Coventry could be a shocker.
@Jonno2601: As a City fan the result was never in doubt. Dominated all aspects. The surprise was how poor Wrexham were. Kieffer scored the one chance which was a deflected cross. Otherwise his touch was suspect and they offered nothing. Money can only get u so far, played off the park
@RyanPeters10: Feel like i’m the only one who doesnt have generational headloss about last night 😂 Second XI played shite and were lucky not to lose by 3, fair play to Cardiff as they just wanted it more. It’s not as if we’ve started disastrously in the league though is it 😂 #WxmAFC
@JGEllinson: Still upset at last night. Been thinking about the players connection with the fans and it crossed my mind. New players say they know about the Wrexham story, but I’m trying to think of any of the new signings have an idea about exactly how bad things were. That’s where the connection came with the old guard, they knew and discussed openly how bad it was with previous owners. Have the new signings had that drilled into them? Do they get the journey the fans have been on? We want players to show the same fight that the fans showed to keep the club alive. That’s the connection! It was the same fight that got us out of the National League breaking points records etc. because that was the only way it would happen for Wrexham.
@rjonesyo: We would’ve lost tonight regardless of the team put out by Parky simply because he failed to drum in the importance of the game. It needed 30% more intensity than any game in the league to match the opposition’s desire. Parky is fully at fault, not any of the players #WxmAFC
@GarethPW: Parky didn’t read the room. That was all on his selection. You can’t be doing that against them. Our chance to put them in their place and he sets us up to fail. He has clearly prioritised Friday but confidence will be hit after that so that game becomes even harder. #wxmafc
@tonywhilding88: Our manager plays not to lose, their manager plays to win a game of football, that’s what will cost Parkinson his job ultimately and why we lost tonight. Everyone knows the financial power we got, we need a more positive thinking manager long term, it’s a mentality thing #WxmAFC
@tonywhilding88: I can handle defeats, seen enough over the years but when you lose a game of that magnitude without laying a finger on the opposition it’s inexcusable, atmosphere was also fucking awful as it has been all season. Credit to Cardiff they did a job and were outstanding. it feels like Parkinson spent the summer chasing Broadhead and spent big money and doesn’t know how to use him, got Cody on for reportedly huge money on a 2 year deal and looks finished. Let’s have it right we couldn’t even put Oxford to bed at home, absolutely honking. Kieffer Moore needs a striker next to him, would you play Ollie Palmer on his own? No, you wouldn’t. Both work hard but need that 2nd striker, all season it’s been doing my tits in. I know we made changes but genuinely for a game of that size it’s the type of performance that puts your job at risk, you can’t spend over £30m and play 1 striker up top and have small % in every single game, I’m getting bored of it now. Our manager plays not to lose, their manager plays to win a game of football, that’s what will cost Parkinson his job ultimately and why we lost tonight. Everyone knows the financial power we got, we need a more positive thinking manager long term, it’s a mentality thing. while we are all having a rant, the guy doing the PA mic stuff had another shocker again today, playing Wrexham is the name as Cardiff come out of the tunnel for the second half, fans started to clap and stood up to see a load of blue shirts run out, he’s awful man. I love Ollie Rathbone but to start him in a game of this size when he hasn’t kicked a football all season shows how little respect Parkinson gave Cardiff tonight. slept on it, usually alot calmer the morning after the night before but not this time. Genuinely haven’t been this angry about a performance for years. I don’t think even beating Coventry would make up for it.
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