Wrexham legend picks sides after star's dad called out Ryan Reynolds and Phil Parkinson

Wales Online

02-05-2025

Wrexham legend picks sides after star's dad called out Ryan Reynolds and Phil Parkinson
Phil Parkinson has been criticised after freezing out some fan favourites at Wrexham, but club legend Mickey Thomas says he has been proven right after achieving another promotion
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson had some tough calls to make this season
(Image: AMA/Getty Images )
Wrexham legend Mickey Thomas believes Phil Parkinson has been vindicated by his decision to freshen up his squad during the January transfer window. The Red Dragons boss was criticised by some fans after the arrival of strikers Sam Smith from Reading and Jay Rodriguez from Burnley led to old favourites Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer being frozen out.
In early March, Palmer's dad took a swipe at the significant financial outlay on the pair by Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with Smith alone reported to have cost £2million. In a later-deleted post on X, Andy Palmer wrote sarcastically: "They were a good buy," after the new forwards initially struggled to click, calling on Parkinson to "swallow his pride" and play his son.
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However, ex-Wrexham and Manchester United midfielder Thomas has praised Parkinson for making the difficult call to change his starting XI. It follows the North Wales outfit's promotion to the Championship from League One being confirmed after beating Charlton Athletic 3-0 at the Racececourse last weekend, with Smith grabbing two crucial goals.
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Thomas said: "Phil Parkinson has had to make some really tough decisions and it wasn't really going down well with the supporters, but that shows how brave he was because it was a tough call. Obviously, it proved right.
"He has to choose what is best for the team and you have to go along with that. I've had my differences with managers throughout my career, but there's only one winner and that's the manager."
Mullin's fall from grace has been the most stark after firing in more than 100 goals for Wrexham since joining the club in July 2021. The 30-year-old played a key role in Wrexham's promotions from the National League and League Two in the last two seasons, but has only made nine starts in the third tier this term, scoring on just three occasions.
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Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has been frozen out this season
(Image: Ben)
The Liverpudlian has been left out of the matchday squad completely since the end of January, sparking rumours of a rift with Parkinson. However, Mullin dismissed the suggestion as "nonsense" after taking to social media to address the claims.
And Thomas, who earned 51 caps for the Wales national team during his career, has backed him to stay and fight for his place in the team next season. It comes after he had a conversation with Mullin on the pitch during Saturday's promotion celebrations.
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He said: " I spoke to Paul Mullin and he's not playing at this moment in time, but he's been a big player for Wrexham over the years and his goal return has been exceptional.
Wrexham legend Mickey Thomas, pictured with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, spoke to Paul Mullin during the promotion celebrations
(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images )
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"He was celebrating afterwards with all the players and he understands that sometimes you're not going to be in favour, but I'm sure he'll work this summer to try and get back into that starting XI next season. Only time will tell whether that will happen."
Heaping further praise on Parkinson, Thomas added: " He has been magnificent. With all the profile of the club and all the cameras around the ground, he's kept them at a level and that is so important.
"Some performances, people said it wasn't good enough, but we were getting results. It's all about winning football games and getting over the line. The most important thing is that we are heading for a very special place now in the Championship."