I know a Stockport fan and he's impressed with Cullen. I'm sure Cullen will have done enough at Stockport to have earned himself a deal in League 2 and then work his way back up.
It must be strange to be starting - and scoring - in the Premier League just after your 18th birthday, thinking you're set for a big career, and then three years later to have scored only one more goal at league level. Tough not to let your ego get carried away when you're seen as a golden boy... and then challenging to keep up your spirits and work ethic when you're down in the Conference. Many promising young players drift and piss their careers away, while some knuckle down and bounce back - which will Cullen be? Not that he hasn't still got a very good life compared to most non-footballers - but the rollercoaster must be interesting!
I think players like Grant Holt, Danny Graham and Rickie Lambert should serve has great inspiration for Cullen.
I was a big fan of Nigel, I've said as much on this forum many times, but I would never dispute that he ruined Cullen. Glad he's doing well.
IIRC Cullen started the first three or four games of the first season back in the Championship, didn't score even and was cast aside to the reserves never to be seen again, as he did with Liam Cooper. I assume that's what he means anyway.
I don't agree he was ruined by Pearson, if anything Pearson put a lot of faith into him and he wasn't up to standard
Cullen never had a big ego, people who know him well will tell you that. He has his feet firmly on the ground and knows how lucky he is to still be in football when so many of the lads he trained with have not been kept on. Sensible with his money from what I hear as well.
I spoke to an Irish lad in the pub awhile ago, good mates with Cullen, played with him while he was on loan at Bury. Reckoned he's got some real potential he did, got it all in training apparently just never had a real chance to show what he's capable of on't pitch. Which is kind of true I guess, with us he was only thrown on as a wild card when we were playing **** and needed a goal, he was never given a chance when we were dominating and controlling a game comfortably, and at Bury, well they've been ****e and struggling like **** for awhile. Regards what Tuckin said, I think if he'd have buried that header that hit the post against Liverpool, people would have looked at him, seen he'd scored 2 in 3 in the premier league with one being against Liverpool, and he may well have got a better chance at a better side. I reckon if he makes it he'll be a late bloomer, he's got the technique to play at a decent level but lacked knowledge, didn't seem to know what to do with himself half the time, playing time and experience that comes with it will help develop that part of his game.
He's started 7 games for us and come on as a sub in another 21 games, other than scoring against Wigan three years ago, has he ever looked anything other than poor?
