The Shrewsbury Town players have shaken off their post-season rust and are now raring to go for the 2020/2021 campaign. Having made significant changes to the side that I inherited two years ago, I’m feeling quite bullish about our chances of claiming promotion from League One.
We’ll play our first seven matches of the league campaign in this chapter, as well as beginning what will hopefully not be another brief run in the EFL Cup. Before all that, though, let’s have a closer look at the team…
SQUAD REPORT
So that’s the squad we’ll go into the new season with. I’ll go through each first-team player below, but if you want to familiarise yourself with our summer signings, then feel free to head on over to Part 1.
After a successful loan spell, Freddie Woodman is now at New Meadow on a full-time basis. With his excellent reflexes, aerial reach and positional awareness, it’s easy to see why he is our highest-rated player. Freddie will likely be our long-term number 1 if things go to plan… but if they don’t, he could still make us quite a lot of money.
Jack Bonham will continue to be Woodman’s understudy, starting primarily in cup matches. Though he only kept one clean sheet in nine outings last season, the 26-year-old Irishman has few glaring weaknesses in his game.
Flame-haired wing-back Ryan Haynes may look a bit average mentally, but he works hard and often puts in some strong, productive performances. If the 24-year-old can become more reliable defensively, Ryan could put significant pressure on our new left-back signing.
Tyler Denton is three weeks Haynes’ senior, and the former Leeds man is a very similar attacking wing-back. Denton is slightly more physical, and rather more likely to keep his composure when the going gets tough. He also has great natural fitness and is unlikely to have too many injury problems.
At right-back is Mark Little – a veteran of 355 EFL matches since making his debut for Wolves as a teenager 14 years ago. Now in his early 30s, Little is still as lively and tenacious as he ever has been. While he does lack a bit of physical strength, he is otherwise a very solid option to have in defence.
Youth graduate Ryan Sears will serve as Little’s backup in his first full season in the senior set-up. Despite making a few mistakes last term, the 21-year-old Welshman has shown a desire to learn from them. If he can sharpen up his crossing and become more defensively aware, Ryan could become our long-term right-back.
The past 18 months have seen Kyle Howkins develop from a raw youngster into a key central defender for Shrewsbury. Howkins is a consistent performer, and there aren’t many players who can beat the big 24-year-old in an aerial duel. I just want him to concentrate a bit more on improving the tactical side of his game.
Kyle will often be accompanied in the heart of our defence by Tosin Adarabioyo. The young Nigeria international has returned to Salop for a second loan spell from Manchester City, having become such a huge hit last season. Tosin’s level-headedness and aerial reach will make him very useful at the back.
He’s not the only loanee centre-half we’ve brought in from a north-western powerhouse. Conor Masterson will likely be with us until the end of January following his arrival from Liverpool. The former Republic of Ireland Under-21s international anticipates situation well and can keep up with most strikers if they get past him.
Joe Wright isn’t a bad alternative either. After four seasons at Doncaster, Wright has stepped back up to League One to provide cover. The amiable Welshman is tall, brave and strong, though his limited pace can sometimes let him down.
Fans’ favourite David Edwards heads up our midfield line-up. The energetic box-to-box midfielder has enjoyed his second coming at Shrewsbury so far, providing a strong influence on the pitch as well as some important goals. Now aged 34, Dave’s physical attributes are dropping off, but he should be fine for one more season.
Taking on the Shrews captaincy is former Middlesbrough and Blackburn destroyer Richie Smallwood. He probably got teased a lot for his surname at school, but you can safely assume that nobody will be laughing at this aggressive and tenacious 29-year-old now. He will primarily protect our defence in a holding midfield role.
If Smallwood is tired, injured or (more likely) suspended, then a fellow north-east native will likely fill in for him. Bryn Morris also came through Middlesbrough’s youth system and is now in his fifth season on Shrewsbury’s books (though he spent a year on loan at Wycombe). He has recently been switched from a box-to-box role to carry out more defensive duties.
Aged just 17, Jack North is the youngest member of our senior squad. The former Aldershot starlet showed glimpses of his precocious playmaking abilities in the latter half of last season, and I reckon he’ll kick on very soon. Though primarily a central midfielder, I’m retraining Jack on the right wing, where his creativity and his explosive acceleration could be put to even greater use.
Charlie Colkett remains our playmaker-in-chief, having provided 25 assists in his first two seasons with the Shrews. The former Chelsea youth is a real flair player whose creativity has won him many admirers at New Meadow. Sadly, he will miss the first few weeks of the season after suffering an abdominal strain in training.
Despite appearing to fade out of the first-team picture last season, box-to-box midfielder Josh Laurent has been retained after accepting a small pay cut. He’s a popular figure in the dressing room, having been part of the squad since my arrival. Josh often carries out his duties with minimal fuss, though he can be rather blinkered when it comes to his passing.
Despite being so devastating at right-wing last season, Alex Gilliead‘s progress stalled a bit last season. However, the 24-year-old’s pre-season performances suggest that he is returning to form and taking on opposing full-backs with more confidence. He’s also bulked up a bit and made improvements to his crossing ability. The signs look promising.
The enigmatic wide forward Sullay Kaikai took a while to get going last term, eventually finishing with nine goals to his name. When he’s at his best, Kaikai can bang in free-kicks from range and/or tear defences apart with his ability to cut inside from the left wing. When he isn’t, he can easily drift out of games and be substituted quickly.
Returning hero Alex Rodman will be Sullay’s backup as he enters the autumn of a nomadic career. The 33-year-old is a smart and creative inside-forward who can also play as an inverted winger on the left flank. While some Salop fans still remember him fondly for his 2018 Play-Off Final goal, he has to win over our more sceptical followers who reckon he’s not cut out for this level anymore.
Danny Redmond is our only out-and-out left-winger, though he can also fill in as a midfield playmaker. The lively Liverpudlian has fine technique for a lower-league player and also takes a mean free-kick. It might take time for Danny to get back up to speed after a knee ligament injury wiped out almost his entire pre-season.
Lee Angol takes most of the plaudits in this Shrewsbury side, having topped 20 goals in each of his first two seasons with the club. Our pacey number 9 loves to knock the ball past his opponent and tuck away his chances. While Angol can sometimes be faulted for isolating himself or not working hard enough to get into good positions, his scoring record justifies a new £2,500-per-week contract.
On-loan Leeds striker Jack Clarke will look to put Lee’s place in the team under some pressure. The 19-year-old England youth international is a pacey poacher who was a major success during a stint with our local rivals Walsall earlier this year. If he fares just as well here, a glittering Premier League future surely awaits.
Another 19-year-old frontman with his best years well ahead of him is Shrews youth product Lifumpa Mwandwe. Fumpa is a tenacious pressing forward who likes to place his shots into the net instead of hammering them in. Mind you, he needs to improve on his consistency and composure before I can think about starting him regularly.
If things get desperate and I decide we need to lump the ball up to a target man, then Matt Smith‘s perfect for that role. The experienced Brummie towers over most defenders and has physical power to rival even Eddie Hall. More importantly, he also has a professional attitude and will always put himself on the line for his team.
Our last senior striker is 21-year-old John McAtee, who made one senior appearance for the Shrews in 2017. However, I fear he might not get any further opportunities with us. McAtee’s hopes of catching my eye were hampered when he sprained his ankle early in pre-season. As of the opening day, I was considering loaning him out once again.
TACTICS UPDATE
My standard 4-1-4-1 system has undergone quite a few tweaks over the last two years, but now I think I’ve found something worth sticking with.
There’ve been some significant changes to how we distribute the ball. For starters, we now tend to play the ball out of defence more calmly. Our defenders are all pretty competent on the ball, so when they dispel an opposition attack, I don’t really want them to hoof it long and wasting possession. Further upfield, we’ll look to make more of our attackers’ pace and intelligence by passing into space.
Roles-wise, I now have my inside-forward on support – sometimes with an attacking wing-back behind him, depending on the opposition. The winger will attack more, as I find that works best for him when it comes to complementing an attacking lone forward.
I’m still not fully convinced by the 4-4-2, but it’s probably the best alternate system at my disposal. This more direct approach is quite adept at frustrating stronger teams away from home, but we generally struggle to score. Mind you, we destroyed Macclesfield 6-0 in pre-season with a 4-4-2 system, albeit with a deep-lying forward in lieu of a target man.
Again, I’m no tactical master, and I’m sure there are changes I could make to get more out of Smith in the target role and make more of this 4-4-2. If you have any tips, feel free to drop a comment below or Tweet me @Fuller_FM.
And if you’re wondering what happened to the 4-2-3-1… that’s in the bin. My experimentations with that system in the second half of last season just did not work; indeed, they were more counter-productive than anything. Also, as we’re rather lacking in natural attacking midfielders, so I’m not prepared to fit square pegs into round holes (says the fella who’s retraining North as a winger).
SHREWSBURY TOWN vs AFC WIMBLEDON (League One, Match 1)
What a game to begin the season with! A six-goal thriller kicked off with a 20th-minute opener from Angol, whose vicious close-range strike from Gilliead’s pass started his campaign as he meant to go on.
Lazy Shrewsbury defending saw us lose the lead in the 26th minute, when Wimbledon right-back Toby Sibbick’s cross was volleyed in at the back post by bearded forward Scott Wagstaff. Just moments later, however, Laurent got us back in front at 2-1. After his first effort was blocked by centre-half Will Nightingale, Josh retook the ball and dribbled into the area before unleashing a clinical piledriver.
We were celebrating a 3-1 lead after 32 minutes, thanks to some unconvincing goalkeeping from Alex Fojticek. The Dons’ Slovakian custodian pushed away a header from Gilliead, but only to Angol, whose half-volley put us in apparent control.
It was Denton’s cross from the left wing that helped to create our third goal, but the wing-back would undo his good work just before half-time. As Wagstaff crossed a late Wimbledon free-kick into the box, Tyler nudged Wimbledon’s attacking midfielder Scott Fraser too firmly for the ref’s liking. He pointed to the penalty spot, from which Joe Pigott’s powerful drive halved our advantage.
The crossbar denied North the chance to make it 4-2 Shrews in the 49th minute, and that miss would hold even more weight three minutes later. None of our defenders could pick out Pigott before he got to winger Egli Kaja’s header from Wagstaff’s deep cross and tapped it home. The 26-year-old’s mid-game double had levelled the scores at 3-3.
We had the best of the latter stages, and in the 79th minute, it appeared we had continued our excellent opening-day record. Adarabioyo flicked Gilliead’s corner on to Angol, who found the net for a third time, albeit from an offside position. Lee’s hat-trick goal was ruled out, and we had to share the points. Could we fare any better in our first away match?
PORTSMOUTH vs SHREWSBURY TOWN (League One, Match 2)
Nope. Angol was at ‘high risk’ of injury before our trip to Fratton Park, so I left him at home. In hindsight, we probably could have done with our main goalgetter’s services, as Clarke had a forgettable debut in his place. The on-loan youngster couldn’t even get a shot on goal, bless his cotton socks.
The opening half-hour was action-packed, with each team having a couple of decent chances. Then both teams lost key players, as Portsmouth midfielder Tom Naylor injured his hip in a robust slide tackle that tweaked Gilliead’s ankle ligaments. When play eventually resumed in the 35th minute, Alex’s replacement North set up the opening goal for Shrewsbury, which Edwards hammered in from 25 yards out.
Pompey set out to halve their deficit after the break. A devastating counter-attack looked to have done that in the 51st minute, but Jamie Walker was just offside when he finished Jamal Lowe’s right-wing cross. Another breakaway just over 20 minutes later would do the job. Lowe weighted a through-ball to Ronan Curtis on the left wing, and Curtis’ square pass was powered home by journeyman striker Josh Parker.
By then, both our centre-backs were on yellow cards, though I decided not to take either of them off with my final substitution. That proved to be a mistake, as while Adarabioyo kept his discipline, Masterson did not. When our Irish loanee tripped Parker seven minutes from time, he knew straight away that his Salop debut would end with a red card. Not a good first impression there, Conor.
With captain Smallwood pulled back into defence, we were now even more vulnerable to Pompey counters. Sure enough, in the 88th minute, Parker got through the gap between Richie and Tosin to latch onto midfielder Alfie May’s long ball and complete his match-winning brace. After two games, we were down in 18th place on just one point.
SHREWSBURY TOWN vs BURY (League One, Match 3)
Now that’s more like it! Newly-promoted Bury could have been tricky opponents, but we shook up the Shakers in the very first minute. Edwards’ pass into the penalty box was struck first-time by Kaikai, who was unlucky not to score again when he hit the post later on.
Bury’s biggest danger was their on-loan Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle, who gave Woodman a couple of stern tests in the opening half. The 18-year-old typified a youthful and energetic visiting team who kept possession very well and were unfortunate not to get back level. Once Doyle tired himself out midway the second half, though, they weren’t quite the same side.
We finished our opponents off in the 76th minute. Little’s right-wing cross was poorly cleared by Bury left-back Ryan Corrigan (another City loanee), and captain Smallwood half-volleyed in his first Shrews goal. With the points effectively secured, I switched to a 4-4-2 diamond for the closing stages and gave a senior debut to 17-year-old attacking midfielder Dan Roberts.
So that was a first win of the season for Shrewsbury, but a third straight defeat for Bury. Even so, surely their manager Michael Appleton would be magnanimous in defeat and remember the good times he had as part of my coaching set-up at Millwall on FM11?
Or perhaps not. Erm… EFL Cup, anyone?
SHREWSBURY TOWN vs LINCOLN CITY (EFL Cup, Round 1)
This EFL Cup tie against League Two Lincoln was one of the worst matches I’ve ever sat through… and I can still remember the 2010 World Cup. The first half in particular was a real slog, with very few highlights to speak of. Lincoln left-winger Bruno Andrade came off injured in the 15th minute, and Shrews counterpart Rodman had a goal disallowed for foul play soon afterwards, but that was it.
It wasn’t until late in the second period that we started to play something resembling football. Denton, Clarke and Wright all had close-range efforts saved by Imps goalkeeper Magnus Norman in the final five minutes. Some typically brave defending from ex-Wales right-back Neal Eardley also helped keep our misfiring attackers at bay.
We endured more frustration in the penalty shoot-out that followed. While Clarke and Edwards each saw Norman save their spot-kicks, Lincoln were perfect from 12 yards out. Man of the match Eardley scored the penalty which sent Darren Moore’s side through to Round 2 and condemned us to another early exit.
HULL CITY vs SHREWSBURY TOWN (League One, Match 4)
And then a bad start turned worse. I’m struggling to remember the last time we were so comprehensively outclassed by our opposition. As soon as on-loan Watford striker Ryan Cassidy headed a George McEachran corner in off the bar after just eight minutes, Hull were in total control.
The Tigers’ crisp passing carved us open time and again, with Denton looking particularly uncomfortable at left-back. It took several great saves from Woodman to keep the deficit down to 1-0 at half-time, but not even he could hold out for much longer.
Eight minutes after the restart, 19-year-old Cassidy received a drilled cross from the similarly youthful right-winger Rabbi Matondo, on loan from Manchester City. The tricky Irishman then turned past our young Citizen Adarabioyo before cutting in his and Hull’s second goal of the afternoon.
We had scarce few chances to make the scoreline more respectable. Our ex-captain Omar Beckles was rock-solid for his new team as he helped them to a clean sheet, and their third win in four games. We now needed to get a result at Oxford – our 2019 play-off nemeses – otherwise serious questions would be asked.
OXFORD UNITED vs SHREWSBURY TOWN (League One, Match 5)
Oxford’s stay in the Championship was short and miserable, as they won just seven games and conceded 103 goals. On their return to League One, the U’s had collected a disappointing five points from four games. After we edged this attritional battle at the Kassam Stadium, that record became five points from five.
Direct, pragmatic football was the order of the day for us in the first half. Winger North had a couple of early efforts saved by United keeper Simon Eastwood, but we were otherwise happy to let our opponents enjoy the lion’s share of possession. After a series of ineffective attacks tired them out, I sensed that it was time to strike.
Midway through the second period, I reverted to the 4-1-4-1, upping the tempo and our pressing intensity. Oxford didn’t adapt well to that, and they cracked 16 minutes from time. Haynes justified his selection at left-back ahead of an out-of-form Denton by supplying a killer cross that Eastwood could only push towards substitute winger Gilliead. Despite not having fully recovered from his ankle injury, Alex converted the loose ball from a tight angle.
Oxford hardly had the energy to battle back, though centre-back Denis Odoi did crash a drive wide in stoppage time. We saw out our first away win of the season rather comfortably and could now look forward to home games against Bristol Rovers and pre-season favourites Sheffield Wednesday.
SHREWSBURY TOWN vs BRISTOL ROVERS (League One, Match 6)
Bristol Rovers’ inconsistent form had been just as inconsistent as ours, but they gave us a few frights at New Meadow. Winger Kyle Bennett could have fired them in front in the very first minute, only just clearing the bar from distance.
Kaikai settled us down by heading in the opening goal after just over half an hour. Gilliead’s initial cross from the left was nodded back to him by visiting right-back Aaron Simpson, but the follow-up found Sullay, who sent us into half-time 1-0 up. Mind you, if it hadn’t been for a couple of late Woodman saves, Rovers could have drawn level, if not taken the lead.
Kaikai could’ve doubled his and our tally in the 62nd minute, when he unluckily volleyed a Little cross against the post. The angst on his face would have been more pronounced had the Pirates punished us late on. On-loan Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour came closest with a fierce 78th-minute drive, but another hard-fought victory would soon be ours.
Meanwhile, as I hinted at in the squad report above, young Shrews striker McAtee was sent on the fifth loan spell of his career. John will spend the season at Kidderminster in the National League North. He really does need a big season there, else I shan’t be writing much more about him.
SHREWSBURY TOWN vs SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (League One, Match 7)
Now this was a performance to savour. Sheffield Wednesday had won five straight league games since losing at Hull on the opening day, but they were no match for our high-tempo passing game. We looked particularly fluent in the 17th minute, stringing 14 straight passes together in the Owls’ half before Gilliead drove in a 25-yard beauty!
The game’s defining moments came in the 36th minute. Wednesday arguably should have levelled when vice-captain Barry Bannan threaded a through-ball to striker Lucas João, who somehow struck the post. About 45 seconds later at the other end, Angol punished that miss by putting us 2-0 ahead, cushioning a Denton delivery in off the far post.
I expected a strong response from the Owls in the second half, but it never really materialised. João misfired again, and Greek international Apostolos Vellios spurned a host of openings during a half-hour cameo. Several fantastic interceptions from our centre-backs Howkins and Adarabioyo further frustrated our visitors, and another clean sheet beckoned for Woodman.
Meanwhile, Angol was arguably unlucky not to find the net again, ultimately drawing four saves out of Cameron Dawson in the Wednesday goal. Lee had scored ‘only’ three times in August, making this his worst start to a season at Shrewsbury, but I had no reason to complain. After a rocky opening fortnight or so, we ended the month with three successive shut-out victories!
Coventry and Luton have flown out of the traps, just like Shrewsbury did last season, but we’ve taken things a bit slower this time around. Even so, 7th place is not a bad place to be after seven games. If we can build on our recent form in the next couple of months, I’m sure we’ll be looking in even better shape.
Join me again soon for Part 3, when Shrewsbury will play a whopping 13 (THIRTEEN) matches over September and October. Don’t be surprised if you find me complaining on Twitter about a growing number of injuries (which would be ironic, considering we got so few injuries last season).
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