Wrexham star Paul Mullin backed to end goal drought after 'massive expectations' warning

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has backed star striker Paul Mullin to end his goal drought.

The 30-year-old has been a talisman for the Red Dragons since joining in the summer of 2021, scoring a total of 108 goals.

However, he has only netted once in League One so far this term after undergoing back surgery during the summer.

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The procedure meant the Liverpudlian missed pre-season and was kept out of the team by fellow striker Jack Marriott during the early stages of the campaign.

Mullin has gradually enjoyed more starts but has not scored since October 19 when his first goal of the season earned Wrexham a hard-fought 1-0 win at Rotherham.

Despite also firing home twice in the early rounds of the EFL Trophy, the forward was dropped from the starting XI by Parkinson for his side's 1-0 defeat at Stockport last weekend.

But the manager says he has every faith that Mullin will rediscover his form and has warned against putting too much pressure on him.

“I had a good chat with Paul. I said that we need to make sure that we're not putting massive expectations on him,” he told the Men in Blazers podcast.

“He's had a serious operation in the summer, missing not just the pre-season, but the whole of the off-season as well.

“He was a long way behind the other lads, but I put him back on the bench quickly. That doesn't mean he was really match ready.

“He's getting opportunities, and Paul is great. He doesn't let things affect him when he doesn't take those as he knows there's another chance coming round the corner.

“The life of a goal scorer is such that at times it doesn't go your way, but it's making sure those dips don't last too long, and he'll come through that.”

Parkinson is fast approaching the milestone of managing 1,000 games in football and boasts a win percentage of just over 61 per cent at Wrexham.

The North Wales side are currently third in the table in League One and fighting for an unprecedented third successive promotion.

The 56-year-old has overseen a total of 185 games at the club since taking the helm in July 2021 and says he is relishing every moment.

Parkinson also stressed the importance of maintaining the bond between the team and fans as the club continues its surge up the leagues.

He said: “I love the job. I like match days and I enjoy it more now than I ever did with the buzz of getting up in the morning on a Saturday and going to the Stok Cae Ras Stadium.

“I want to make sure that we keep our identity as a team and our supporters keep connected with the team.

“That's really important for us because the profile of the club is growing, but keeping that connection with the people who pay the cash to get into our ground on a Saturday is key.

“A lot of the managers we play against, when we have a drink with them after the game, they say that the support behind the team is unbelievable.

“We've worked hard to gain that and the only way you keep that is if the supporters detect honesty in the group.”