Regardless of how next weekend’s crunch match goes, I think it’s time for a bit of Parkpreciation.

Cast aside that desire to live in the moment, to see him as a genius in Blackpool but a mug three days earlier. Live to his mantra: never get too high, never get too low. He knows of what he speaks.

In fifteen full seasons, he’s been promoted five times (we ought to be aware of at least a couple of those!) and has managed over a thousand games. He’s had enough time to have a good think about how to get things done.

Taking a step back is part of his skill; sticking to his principles is another. He put his squad together with a picture in mind of how he wanted them to play, and has stuck to his guns.

We’re in a position, with two games left, to become the first club in the history of the Football League to achieve back-to-back-to-back promotions, and reach a level we’ve only appeared at once. And that only last four years.

Regardless of what happens over the next week and a bit, we need to appreciate his work.

There’s a tendency to see the manager of a team as some all-powerful guru, controlling every small matter on the pitch.  It’s like they’ve got a FIFA controller in the dug-out and are controlling every player’s movements.

That’s not the case, and last Monday’s coruscating display at Blackpool proved it. That’s how Parkinson wants his team to go about things: with a high tempo and relentless desire to shift the ball around and get at the opposition.

If you desire further proof, consider how we start halves. We often begin a game in that manner, and resume in the same way after the break. Parkinson can coach the team, prepare them thoroughly and remind them of the key principles they’ve worked on before each half, but has limited influence once the action begins.

That’s why the suggestion that he’s happy to see his team go into their shell is unfair. Does he value a solid defence? Yes. Does he have a structurally sound mid-block which can protect a lead? Yes.

I don’t think he wishes to be as reliant on those attributes as we sometimes appear to be, though. The pressure of a run-in does odd things to a team, and even though we have a high calibre, extremely experienced squad, it’s natural that they will fall back onto that well-drilled off-the-ball shape when under pressure.

Don’t get me wrong. Parkinson constructed the rugged rearguard approach of this team, but our league position suggests he should get a lot of credit for that, rather than the opprobrium of his critics. It feels odd to be defending him when we’re on the cusp of something unimaginable, but the truth is he’s been taking flak lately despite our quest for promotion.

As I said earlier, his experience has allowed him to take a step back and take an overview, which clearly has done the job over the last three years.

Dropped points against Bristol Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Cambridge United clearly weren’t part of the plan, but they weren’t campaign-killers. Losing 4-0 at home to the side in fourth place is more the sort of thing which can bring you to a juddering halt!

We’ve remained steady through the run-in, and it has got us into this enviable position. We’re on the longest unbeaten run in the league, and that ability to make sure we don’t leave a game empty-handed is an effective way to keep on track.

Every game since losing at Reading has added to our total: indeed, that match is the only defeat in our last thirteen league matches. We’ve kept steadily on track while others have vacillated wildly between success and failure, and got ourselves into a position where, with two games left, our fate is in our own hands.

A stat came up on Monday which illustrates just what a ludicrously successful manager Parkinson has been for us.

The 2-1 win at Blackpool was our 25^th league victory of the season. That’s only the seventh time in our 123 league campaigns that we’ve won so many matches, and Parkinson has reached that milestone in each of his four seasons in charge!

Andy Morrell did it in 2011-12, we achieved it in 1970 when we went up under John Neal, and surprisingly we also won 25 in 2018-19, when we lost in the play-offs to Eastleigh. Brian Flynn never achieved it, neither did Denis Smith, and even Arfon Griffiths’ famous 1977-78 team didn’t manage it! They all achieved 23 wins in promotion campaigns, but never more than that.

Parkinson has already shattered so many club records, and hopefully there are more glorious days to come under him. There’s no guarantee that we’ll see the job out this season, but it’s certainly reassuring to have Parkinson’s steady hand on the tiller.