Wrexham's summer transfer splurge has faced renewed criticism after ex-Premier League striker Darren Bent confessed he is "shocked" by the club's disappointing start to life in the Championship. Despite forking out approximately £33million on fresh talent, Phil Parkinson's squad sit in 21st place, merely one point clear of the drop zone after five games.

The Red Dragons have managed just four points from their opening fixtures, recording one win, one draw and three defeats. Their latest setback saw them lose 3-1 at home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, with Hollywood co-owner Ryan Reynolds spectating from his box.

Former Aston Villa frontman Bent has now cautioned that Wrexham's lowly standing could swiftly spell the end for the manager if fortunes don't turn around, branding the club's expenditure as "nuts". It follows the likes of Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore and Conor Coady arriving at the Racecourse Ground this summer.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "When you see who they've brought in, I didn't expect them to be one point above relegation. They've brought in Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich, Ben Sheaf, a good player from Coventry and Callum Doyle, also a good player.

"They've brought in people on a free like Josh Windass, who we know can score goals as well. Also Kieffer Moore and Conor Coady. They've spent about £30m. Honestly, it's nuts.

"They've signed all those players and expectations are going to go right through the roof. I am shocked...but the Championship is a different beast."

When quizzed on whether he believed Parkinson would survive if results don't improve, Bent replied: "If they continue like this, no."

Despite the turbulent start to the season, the former Bolton and Sunderland chief still enjoys considerable goodwill following his remarkable achievements at Wrexham over the last four years. The Welsh side have secured three successive promotions under his guidance.

Parkinson oversaw a comprehensive squad rebuild during the summer following their promotion from League One, recruiting 13 fresh faces in total. This campaign represents Wrexham's first venture into the second tier for 43 years, and former Wales star Ian Walsh believes the manager should get more time to blend his team together.

"If they're sensible they'll give Phil Parkinson enough time to turn things around," he told BBC Radio Wales Sport. "It's difficult, back-to-back-to-back promotions and you drag a lot of new players into the club...it's going to take time for them to work each other out."

When questioned about whether he can cope with the mounting pressure following Saturday's setback, Parkinson himself said: "Absolutely, there's always been expectations at this club, and I can live with that, no problem.

"I always felt with a big change around, there was going to be times at the start where it's not completely smooth sailing, because obviously when you change the squad round so much, it can be difficult. But a lot of the football today was really good."

Wrexham are bracing themselves for a challenging match as they head to Norwich this Saturday. The Canaries, currently sitting 10th in the league, managed a 1-1 draw against Frank Lampard's Coventry last weekend.

Ryan Reynolds' £33m gamble branded 'nuts' as Wrexham boss given stark warning over future - The Mirror