Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson hints at an explanation that influenced the club to depart club icon Paul Mullin to Wigan Athletic last summer.
Tomorrow, Wrexham lineup for their inaugural FA Cup fixture against Nottingham Forest. And inaugural not just in season terms, but the first one without Paul Mullin leading the Dragons’ attack.
Look, this is not meant to get misty-eyed, still, lining up without an FA Golden Ball winner like him feels unjust. Say for time? Notice how Super Mulls, who served as the Captain in Wrexham’s last FA Cup game, lies out of contention for the Forest fixture despite being in the Dragons camp.
Well, definitely an undesirable situation for Mullin to be in. Still, what’s happening is everything that was predicted on the back of a series of events.
Having dropped down in Parky’s pecking order around this time last year, Mullin never recovered. What started as a poor run of games amid fitness concerns led to his surprise exit in the summer, and fast forward to now, he feels practically clubless despite being at Wrexham.
Given all of this coincided with Wrexham’s Championship upsurge, fans didn’t notice. But even now, every Welshpool fan would have a question lingering, “What if Paul Mullin didn’t leave Wrexham in summer?”
Phil Parkinson hints at Mulls’ loan exit explanation
Needless to say, ultimately, Parky had a fair share in deciding Paul Mullin’s reduced role & a summer exit. But, rather than any fallout, the manager’s recent comment hints that it was a tactical decision to run it all.
As quoted by the Leader Live, Phil Parkinson acknowledged Mulls’ return, saying: “Mulls has joined in training and looks in good shape. The fact he’s only played for one club, the option to go out on loan is there again.”
For those unable to read through the context, FIFA’s transfer rules state that any player is only eligible to play in official matches for a maximum of two clubs within a season.
Probably, Parky & Wrexham knew that Mullin’s depreciating form won’t help him cut it out in the Championship. That’s why, instead of wasting a playing club slot for Mullin with some game-time in the second division, they opted for a departure.
And what could have been a better destination than Wigan? Given Paul’s terrific League Two numbers, the striker was bound to excel there. Notably, it worked as well, but only until a potential fallout at Wigan that had him return to Wrexham.
Safe to say, Wrexham’s cautionary approach has kept Mulls eligible to represent one more club rather than spending the remaining season out of action.
Will Paul Mullin never play for Wrexham again?
Two ‘no’s don’t make a ‘yes’, and that’s what is speculated to happen for Mulls’ Wrexham career. While his time as Wrexham’s go-to striker feels in the past, an occasional appearance is never ruled out.
Agreed, Wrexham are yet to fulfil Mullin’s dream of even one minute of Championship action, but there’s no way the club can’t thank him even better. How about a full 90 minutes of Premier League action at Racecourse down the line? Sounds dreamy, but so has been Mullin’s tale.
But the local fans need not even wait that much, given Wrexham’s recent announcement. Scheduled to play a friendly against Liverpool this Tuesday, Paul Mullin is expected to have key minutes there.
Phil Parkinson confirmed it, saying: “We have got a fixture against Liverpool on Tuesday and we want him to play in that because we want him to be at his sharpest and see where he is.”
While a fest for the home fans, it ought to be a decisive game for Paul Mullin’s second half of the season. Already on the radar of various clubs, expect to have various recruitment analysts present at the Racecourse, along with thousands of fans for the game.
