Today, Wrexham AFC concluded its third installment of the pre-season U.S Tour. After embarking on the tour with a 5-0 thrashing from Chelsea, followed by a quick bounce back with a 4-0 win against LA Galaxy II, the Welsh club kept the winning streak against Manchester United. But in an unfortunate turn of events, the victory also came with a huge loss which may affect the start of their new campaign.
Even though the Red Dragons thrashed the Red Devils by 3-1, the Welsh club saw their star player, Paul Mullin, get injured. And the manager, Phil Parkinson, isn’t happy about it, who expressed his discontent after the game.
Wrexham coach fuming over goalkeeper’s challenge on Paul Mullin
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Just before Wrexham was in contention to start their EFL League Two campaign, they suffered an enormous blow. Unfortunately, they have lost their talisman, Mullin, due to a terrifying injury. Right from the start, the 28-year-old collided with United’s goalkeeper Nathan Bishop. Medics quickly assisted the Welsh striker with oxygen before he was substituted. In the end, they had to quickly rush him to the hospital, while Bishop received a yellow card for the challenge.
Following the match, Parkinson revealed that Mullin had suffered a punctured lung. Likewise, he also had some fuming words for Bishop. As stated by the Manchester Evening News, he said, “It’s a clumsy challenge from the goalkeeper, I’m disappointed with that. It should have been a straight red. If it’s not denying a goalscoring opportunity, it’s still a dangerous challenge.”
Manager Phil Parkinson has confirmed Paul Mullin has suffered a punctured lung. Get well soon, Mulls!
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC | #WxmUSTour pic.twitter.com/fnk846kGxt
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) July 26, 2023
He continued, “So if you add the two scenarios together he should have been off the pitch. It’s a dangerous challenge and obviously, Paul Mullin is our talisman. I’m fuming about it. I’ve got to be honest with you. It was a clumsy, reckless, challenge in a pre-season game and I’m not happy with it at all. I haven’t seen the goalie and he’s probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we’re not very happy.”
It seems Parkinson is quite furious over Bishop’s unnecessary challenge. Following the incident, Bishop went to Twitter and quickly expressed his apology. Yet, the 55-year-old insists the young keeper should stay away from them for the time being. Indeed, it’s quite understandable to see the manager’s frustration. However, United isn’t happy with his comments.
Manchester United is not happy over Phil Parkinson’s comments
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While Parkinson may have expressed his anger over the incident, it hasn’t sat well with the Red Devils, as they feel that he has unnecessarily escalated the situation. United is worried that his remarks could lead to online abuse directed at Bishop, who was involved in an accidental and non-malicious challenge. It’s worth noting that both players are represented by the same agency.
The start against Wrexham marked Bishop’s first senior appearance for the Red Devils, having joined them in January 2020 from Southend United. After the game, United staff were seen talking to Bishop near the mixed zone at the Snapdragon Stadium. Nevertheless, at the moment, Parkinson appears uninterested in the Red Devils’ concerns. After all, he must be under pressure to plan for the new season without Mullin.
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Do you agree with Parkinson? Let us know in the comments.