Wrexham AFC: Phil Parkinson should make emotional Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer call v Lincoln | OneFootball

Wrexham AFC boss should give his former stars an emotional sendoff on Saturday

Another successful campaign for Wrexham AFC is nearing its conclusion, though Saturday may be a sad day for two key contributors to the club, who we may be seeing for the last time.

What to do about Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer this summer will likely be on the mind of manager Phil Parkinson and the club’s front office this summer as they prepare for their stiffest challenge yet in the Championship next season. Before we discover what the future of Mullin and Palmer holds, the Red Dragons have one more League One fixture remaining on Saturday when they battle Lincoln City.

To earn a historic third successive promotion, Parkinson made pragmatic choices for the betterment of the team, enabling them to secure second place last weekend.

This weekend, though, he can make team selections that will have no impact on their standing.

Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer’s Wrexham contracts

On New Year’s Day 2024, the BBC confirmed that Mullin and Elliot Lee had extended their stay with the Red Dragons. At the time, it seemed like a no-brainer that the Wrexham fan base was in near unanimous agreement with, as Lee had netted a team-high 13 League Two goals at the time, and Mullin had scored 10.

Mullin and Lee both signed contracts until the 2026-27 season, with the former earning an annual salary of just over £301,000 per Salary Sport over this campaign.

Earlier this season, Palmer’s contract with the club was extended, with the BBC reporting last October that he’d signed a deal to remain in North Wales until the end of the 2025-26 campaign. At the time of his signing, he’d only netted twice, and he’s only scored one more goal since then in League One. Salary Sport has Palmer’s current yearly salary at slightly below £250,000.

Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin’s contributions to Wrexham

Since the close of the winter transfer window in February, we’ve seen very little or nothing of Palmer and Mullin in League One. Parkinson has instead gone with their big January signings Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith.

Neither Palmer nor Mullin have figured as prominently in the club’s success this season. However, they may be the two biggest reasons they’re in League One to begin with. Palmer had 16 goals in their National League campaign, finishing second on the team in that department.

While he didn’t score as often in League Two, he contributed in other ways, winning 38 fouls, earning two penalties in that competition and creating 25 chances, according to FotMob.

On the other hand, Mullin was a goal machine from the time he arrived at Wrexham, leading the club in goals in the past three seasons.

Mullin may be solely regarded for his goalscoring exploits at Wrexham, netting some absolute beauties in his career for this team.

That said, he was impressive in numerous other areas with 94 recoveries, 25 possessions won in the final third and 182 touches in the opposition’s box domestically per FotMob last season.

Parkinson must make an emotional decision on Mullin and Palmer

As unpopular as it was and still is for many, dropping Mullin was right for Wrexham to get over the line this season in a competitive League One. The same can be said about leaving Palmer out, as those two omissions enabled many Wrexham players to step up and contribute.

With the Red Dragons having already earned a promotion and with no chance of winning the league, Parkinson needs to do the right thing and put Mullin and Palmer on the field this weekend. Even though both are under contract next season, they’ve reached their peak with this club, and parting company with both of them, painful as it may be, seems like the smart move.

League One was a grind, but the Championship is littered with top talent, and neither Palmer nor Mullin have played a single match at that level. Merely surviving relegation from the Championship will be difficult, and the Red Dragons know they must replenish their side. That includes saying goodbye to Mullin and Palmer sooner than expected. Keeping them beyond this summer only takes up an extra spot on this team and the club’s wage bill.

Saturday is the perfect opportunity for Mullin and Palmer’s swansong with the Red Dragons, and given everything they’ve given to the club, Parkinson must do the right thing and start both players. Since his appointment as Wrexham manager, Parkinson has usually made decisions with his head instead of his heart, and it’s paid off handsomely. This weekend, he should do the opposite.

Palmer hasn’t played a League One match since their 3-2 defeat versus Stevenage, with his last game being in early February in their Vertu Trophy triumph over Port Vale (4-1). Palmer also has ties to Lincoln and was a big part in their 2017-18 EFL Trophy victory, being named to the Team of the Tournament.

Mullin’s last game at Wrexham was their semi-final defeat to Peterborough United in the Vertu Trophy, and his last league appearance was also against Stevenage.

The Red Dragons have nothing to lose or gain against Lincoln, so giving both players a chance to showcase themselves to other clubs and earn a proper goodbye from their teammates and staff is the right thing to do, no matter how you slice it.

They've both been excellent servants to the club and have earned a hero's goodbye.