Shrewsbury - Flash in the pan or real promotion contenders?

[3Loggerheads]

There can be no doubt Shrewsbury are currently the surprise package in League 1 this season, in the pre-season prediction most have predicted a bottom 6 finish and I think there was a 15th place prediction.
Understandable I suppose but I think I am correct in saying that most Shrewsbury fans pre season were pretty confident of avoiding a relegation scrap although we have been pleasantly surprised with the season start.
Fact is that when Hurst took over at the start of November our league record stood at:-
P16 W2 D5 L9 GF16 GA29 Pts11.
We accumulated a further 41 points from the remaining 30 games.
If we matched that over our next thirty, we would have 70 points from 41 games, leaving us 5 games to get possibly 5 points for an almost certain play-off berth.
Paul Hurst has brought in good players under the radar, although it seems many opposing fans are unconvinced as they are not familiar with most of the squad on paper.

Personally as things stand 1/4 of the season in, I would be disappointed if we did not finish in the top 6, and we have to aim for the automatics now!

Interested in your thoughts?

 

[PaulHaddock]

Thought Shrewsbury would be midtable/pushing for playoffs under Hurst so they’re still slightly surpassing my expectations. Will expect them to fall back a bit as the season goes on but they are certain playoff candidates now.

 

[Hurrikeen]

With the greatest respect, no.

There's always one team that starts off like a house on fire. Granted they still usually make the playoffs (Orient, Walsall) but not always (Gillingham), but the common theme is they usually tail off.

You're brimming with confidence at the moment, however it will be interesting to see how you react after a defeat. I think all your wins so far have been by 1 goal (Scunny aside), and taking that into account along with your performance at our place, it strikes me that you are a very organised, well-drilled team but haven't really outplayed many. I don't mean to sound ignorant here as I haven't seen all your games obviously, so please correct me if I am wrong. However, if what I have said is right, that only tends to get you so far.

However all being said, I hope you do. Would be good to see an underdog pull of a surprise promotion.

 

[Strawberry_Jam]

I've said it continously, Confidence is the most important thing in the lower leagues. (Even in the Prem with Leicester) I see no reason why you can't reach the play-offs minimum provided you don't lose a few on the bounce.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

I would say you have a squad full of confidence but from the game against us I’m of the opinion that your results will tail off. You might stay in the playoffs

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

I too always knew that Shrewsbury would have 29 points from their first 11 games, a plus ten goal difference, and a four point lead at the top of the table. We all know so much about football well done guys.

 

[Bobbin']

Have to agree with two points already mentioned. The old cliché of how you react after a defeat, but it's true and that usually unexpected front runners do tend to tail off.

The chances are you will hit a dip in form at some point, I don't expect Wigan to go on a bad run at all this season so they'll be there to pounce on top spot straight away. The fear for Shrewsbury is if and when they lose a few, if it coincides with the more fancied teams hitting a run Blackburn, Rotherham, Bradford, MK, ourselves etc they could find themselves being left behind as these sides are on their coat tails anyway.

In short, I don't think Shrewsbury will make the top two and will have to maintain this form for an entire season to have a chance at top 6. I would say it's more likely you end up around mid-table but genuinely would love to be proved wrong.

 

[SF_]

Can't rule out Shrewsbury keeping up this form but can't help but think back to that Tranmere team under Ronnie Moore who were absolutely storming the league before Christmas. with James Wallace and Jake Cassidy earning rave reviews. Akpa-Akpro looked Champions League bound..

Think they were hit by injury in January and ended up 11/12th.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

They'd better not go up if they want to convert to safe standing, it's not allowed in the top 2 tiers. Chuck a few results, especially against us.

 

[K-Win]

Fixture-wise, you have some winnable games this month - then things look tougher in November and December. Will be interesting to see where you are come the New Year. If you're still in the top two then it's game on, I reckon!

There's also the pressure factor when it gets to the tail-end of the season. Do you have some experienced promotion winners in the squad?

I'd say play-offs are definitely more likely - Wigan look like the stand-out team given their dominant performances so far. Any team from 3rd to 8th (Bradford, Peterborough, Charlton, Blackburn, Scunthorpe, Rotherham) look strong enough to grab an auto too.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Can't rule out Shrewsbury keeping up this form but can't help but think back to that Tranmere team under Ronnie Moore who were absolutely storming the league before Christmas. with James Wallace and Jake Cassidy earning rave reviews. Akpa-Akpro looked Champions League bound..

Think they were hit by injury in January and ended up 11/12th.

Akpa-Akpro is the most inconsistent and frustrating footballer ever, there is no way he could ever be the spearhead of a championship or promotion winning side because of this.

 

[bantamigo]

Parky went up with a workmanlike side in Bolton last year and got us in the playoffs the season before with a similar style, so why not. Fleetwood also a side that do well without many top quality standout players. It's a league where that can happen.

 

[Son of Cod]

With the greatest respect, no.

There's always one team that starts off like a house on fire. Granted they still usually make the playoffs (Orient, Walsall) but not always (Gillingham), but the common theme is they usually tail off.

You're brimming with confidence at the moment, however it will be interesting to see how you react after a defeat. I think all your wins so far have been by 1 goal (Scunny aside), and taking that into account along with your performance at our place, it strikes me that you are a very organised, well-drilled team but haven't really outplayed many. I don't mean to sound ignorant here as I haven't seen all your games obviously, so please correct me if I am wrong. However, if what I have said is right, that only tends to get you so far.

However all being said, I hope you do. Would be good to see an underdog pull of a surprise promotion.

Well drilled, organised, unspectacular but solid is what Hurst did with us season after season. Those single goal victories aren't through a lack of ability to achieve greater scorelines, they're more due to a control of discipline. I'm quite staggered that he has strung together a run as good as this though - something he didn't do with us in a division of significantly lower quality and with a handful of the same players!

He was prone to dropping tactical/selection clangers, but as a young manager learning the ropes that is kind of to be expected. Perhaps he has ironed these issues out now? The old cliché raised by Bobbin about how the players bounce back after a defeat is of course relevant, however I think how the Shrewsbury fans react and how this affects Hurst is the real test here. He did not deal well with the Grimsby fans on his back and at times it felt like he was going against the grain (ie. dropping key players) purely as a fuck you to the supporters opposing him.

If he has dealt with these two major chinks in his armour, then I think Shrewsbury could continue to surprise people. Automatic spots almost certainly not, but even the playoffs would be a tremendous achievement.

There is of course the threat of another club coming in for him. I could see him being tempted by any of the bigger Yorkshire clubs should be find himself on one of their radars.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Yeah I forgot to mention that. Hurst was/is an absolute master at 1-0 wins, it’s the reason he kept us in the playoffs for 4 years in a row. There aren’t many managers capable of that.

We rarely won big, and if we did, we’d always retreat in the next game. I’m pretty that was him being stubborn. We’d also always start the season scoring lots but also conceding. That soon changed and we became the same boring 1-0 win team, which got us promoted in the end.

 

[dannylad01]

As a Shrewsbury fan I think the first big hurdle will be to see how we respond after a defeat. This may well come Saturday with our trip to Walsall where we haven't won for more than 20 years. As the Grimsby fans have pointed out, Hurst is all about organisation and it is very much a team effort. We've also had a bit of luck, such as at Doncaster where we made 4 changes. The promising thing is that last season we'd have lost that game.

It would be nice to be near the top come January and see where we go from there. Godfrey is a key player, but if his performances continue Norwich may recall him in January. Noticed his absence in midfield at Doncaster. There may be other clubs sniffing after Nolan, and even Hurst himself.

I'd snatch your hand off for 6th place now, but think top half is more realistic after a few years of struggle in this year. The start has given us a good chance

 

[dolph]

Honestly thought after watching us play them on the opening day that both teams would struggle this season, Cobbs were fecking woeful with the Shrews only just a tiny bit better, good to see them up there tho

 

[wafc_Mike]

Well you only need another 21 points to avoid relegation .
Fair play for the start, honestly cant see it lasting.
I reckon an 8th place finish for you, just think over the season (with injuries, suspensiins etc) their are other clubs that will deal with these better.

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

Finish 12th and we sign Hurst to take us up next year.

Carlton Morris in a team at the top. Great Joke.

 

[Son of Cod]

Finish 12th and we sign Hurst to take us up next year.

Carlton Morris in a team at the top. Great Joke.

You lot are even worse than us for whinging. Hurst to be stripped of legend status after slagging off unsatisfied fans in local radio interview within 3-6 months.

 

[GTFCfish]

Finish 12th and we sign Hurst to take us up next year.

Carlton Morris in a team at the top. Great Joke.

Why would Hurst leave what he has to sign for a smaller team?

 

[GTFCfish]

Can't rule out Shrewsbury keeping up this form but can't help but think back to that Tranmere team under Ronnie Moore who were absolutely storming the league before Christmas. with James Wallace and Jake Cassidy earning rave reviews. Akpa-Akpro looked Champions League bound..

Think they were hit by injury in January and ended up 11/12th.

Thankfully though Tranmere recovered well from that and went from strength to strength.

 

[LS Bantam]

Repeating the above a bit but in recent years there's just been too many casualties where long term leaders have fallen flat on their face half way/three quarters of the way through to miss out completely or just make the PO's.
How many other sides at this point now would say their team will finish above Shrewsbury at the end of the season? I'll put our name forward for starters.

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

Why would Hurst leave what he has to sign for a smaller team?

Haha what a terrible attempt.

I know you’d be desperate to play us again but that’s going to be a fair few years away.

Until that day see if you can get yourself and the rest of your fan base’s jealously levels of all things Yorkshire down to a normal level.

Lincolnshire - hating all things Yorkshire for no reason whatsoever since time began.

 

[GTFCfish]

Haha what a terrible attempt.

I know you’d be desperate to play us again but that’s going to be a fair few years away.

Until that day see if you can get yourself and the rest of your fan base’s jealously levels of all things Yorkshire down to a normal level.

Lincolnshire - hating all things Yorkshire for no reason whatsoever since time began.

Funny you should say that as my Nanna used to have a saying:

'You can't teach a Yorkshireman anything because they already fucking know everything'

People like you just go to reaffirm that statement.

 

[3Loggerheads]

Responses pretty much what I expected.....Flash in the Pan.

I am hopeful of a top 6 finish and believe we have a bit more than most think..... but could be wishful thinking on my part.

I was around in 1979 when we last won this division, and most probably thought we wouldn't last then.

Anyway we visit the biscuit tin tomorrow where we have either lost or drawn since 1994 so the unbeaten run could well be threatened.

 

[Jockney]

Tbf, Burton.

 

[Hedonist Puncture]

The chances are that the Shrews will not keep it up. Fixture pile up, injuries and suspensions likely to come. If the squad is strong, it might help you through these potential hurdles. Good luck and I hope you stay in the automatic mix. We will not be bothering you.

 

[GodsGift]

Their crowds haven't improved much, have they? Only 5,700 last week, which was around their average last season. I'd have though an extra thousand or two would come out of the woodwork given their ridiculously good start.

 

[Marked Ox]

Injuries/tiredness to the main players will be the big test and how deep the squad goes. If Shrewsbury get lucky with this then anything is possible.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Their crowds haven't improved much, have they? Only 5,700 last week, which was around their average last season. I'd have though an extra thousand or two would come out of the woodwork given their ridiculously good start.

It's because no one cares about L1