Because of the pressure from the supporters to win promotion, a previous Wrexham manager once joked that the Red Dragons should be rebranded as ‘Wrexham Expectation Football Club’.
The current Wrexham talisman, Paul Mullin, helped bring an end to the club’s 15-year ban from the EFL by scoring 38 league goals in the previous season, but Gary Mills’ attempt to remove the team from the National League was unsuccessful.
From the summer of 2021, when he first arrived at the Racecourse, the striker—who is referred to as “Super Paul Mullin”—has shared a unique bond with the fans.
After their 2-1 victory over Colchester United, in which he scored his 100th goal for the team, the 29-year-old stunned and even infuriated several supporters by criticizing them.
Mullin may have made a strange move as Wrexham approaches a pivotal juncture in their pursuit of automatic promotion, but given the importance of togetherness in the closing stretch, he may have a point.
Mullin doesn’t want to hear chants again
Ironic shouts by away fans during the Colchester game about Phil Parkinson’s team’s alleged poor road form were the source of Mullin’s ire.
The notorious tune “How s*** must you be, we’re winning away” was one of the songs in consideration.
It’s true that Wrexham’s performance in the opening hour of the game was lackluster; the club found it difficult to create good opportunities and fell behind in the 54th minute to a rasping half-volley from John Akinde.
Shortly after, Mullin headed home a cross from Ryan Barnett to tie the score. With five minutes remaining, Max Cleworth leaped to his feet to nod in a long throw and win the game.
In his post-game interview, Mullin praised the support of the away fans at the JobServe Community Stadium but voiced frustration with several of their chants.
“They travel everywhere to support us, and it’s fantastic support,” he remarked.
However, I would never want to hear them sing about us losing when we’re far from home again.
“How does that affect the players who are representing their team on the field, in their opinion?
“I understand that it’s all about having fun and playing games, and people should enjoy themselves when they fly and spend their hard-earned money to see us.
“Some of the lads have been speaking about it, and they don’t really like to hear that but the support from them was unbelievable.”
Supporters say striker was wrong to criticise them
It makes sense that Mullin’s remarks could have incensed some of the supporters who paid for their tickets and traveled to Essex, an almost ten-hour round trip.
Tom Lewis, a supporter, best expressed their opinions when he shared about the interview on X, then known as Twitter.
Love Paul Mullin, obviously, he said. However, in my opinion, he was incorrect to criticize the fans.
“The guys had a fantastic away end, and I really believe the support helped them cross the finish line.” Still, the music is lighthearted.
It’s also true that, at times this season, watching the Red Dragons away from home has been challenging.
Of Parkinson’s team’s 22 away games, they have only won eight, drawn seven, and lost seven, according to FootyStats.
In comparison, the team has won 14 of its 20 home games, with three draws and three losses at the Racecourse.
Furthermore, they have scored fewer than half of the 50 goals they have scored at home—just 24 on enemy territory.
However, the situation isn’t as dire as it might appear when you stand back.
After recent victories at Colchester, Grimsby, and Morecambe, Wrexham is now ranked fifth in the away form table.
Even if they might rank second in terms of home form, there isn’t much of a difference.
In a very difficult division, this Wrexham club is currently on track to win back-to-back promotions.
Therefore, it makes sense that Mullin would be unhappy as well.
Mullin’s close link to fans means he feels pressure to win
Despite going eight games without a goal at one point this season, the Scouser has been in terrific form overall and is expected to surpass the 20-goal mark in League Two.
When you consider that he missed the first seven weeks of the season due to a punctured lung sustained during a pre-season friendly against Manchester United, his accomplishment is all the more remarkable.
After the Colchester match, Parkinson disclosed that Mullin might have easily missed the game because of a hamstring issue, but he persevered to support his team despite the discomfort.
Because of his strong relationships with the supporters, the striker already bears a lot of the responsibility for leading Wrexham to victory, so any criticism might be especially hurtful to him.
He acknowledged experiencing this weight in his autobiography, “My Wrexham Story,” which was published this past summer.
“Making sure we got promoted became an obsession for me,” he remarked, speaking about their 2022–2023 National League title-winning campaign. I’ve forged friendships with a great deal of individuals at Wrexham, including the town’s residents and supporters in addition to the team.
“I’ve experienced the agony and sensed the tension, anxiety, and frustration in the stadium. Making that go away was all I wanted to do.
“That sense of responsibility was only increased after watching the documentary and realizing what common people had gone through and how much they cared to save the club.”
Wrexham talisman’s remarks could become rallying cry
Wrexham’s supporters are generally just as loyal as any fandom in the United Kingdom, if not more so.
The team routinely draws crowds of over 12,000 at home, while thousands of supporters travel outside.
The roar inside the club’s stadium was so loud during the previous season that it was dubbed the “Racecourse Roar” by BT Sport pundit Adam Summerton.
But in the EFL, there have been times when tougher challenges than those encountered by most National League opponents have caused the fans to calm down.
Perhaps Mullin intended for his remarks to incite a siege mentality and encourage supporters to make as much noise as they could leading up to the final three games of the season.
One thing is certain: the team as a whole will need to pull together for the crucial last stretch of their season.
