Shrewsbury boss Turner: We'll worry about ourselves, not Walsall
Shrewsbury boss Graham Turner insists his team must keep the focus on themselves ahead of tomorrow's revenge mission against Walsall.
Town will welcome the Saddlers to the Greenhous Meadow just five weeks after receiving a 3-0 mauling in the FA Cup first round at the Banks's Stadium.
Afterwards Turner labelled his side's performance, in a very one- sided contest, as 'embarrassing'.
But he has re-iterated his belief that his team – since bolstered by three loan signings – is now far stronger.
And he said the pre-match emphasis will be on playing to their own strengths rather than combating those of Walsall.
"We didn't do ourselves justice there. We didn't do particularly well," he said of the last encounter between the teams.
"They are a good side and they have got some decent players in there that play with a nice style – but we are a lot stronger as a side now than the one that went to Walsall last month.
"It is a case of how much notice do we take of how Walsall play and how much do we concentrate on our own performance? And I'm leaning heavily to (an approach of) forget about Walsall. Let's just concentrate on the way we want to do things."
Town's record at the Banks's has been a poor one in recent years but they have fared far better at home against the Saddlers.
They have only to look back to last season for inspiration, having survived heavy spells of sustained pressure to take a 1-0 win back in October thanks to Paul Parry's 25th-minute goal.
And a repeat result tomorrow could propel Town, who are currently 13th, into the top half of the table.
It would be a pleasing turn of events for the Shrewsbury boss, who has seen his team claw their way up from 18th place in the last five league matches.
But Turner insists there will be no hint of complacency from his side as they hunt a fourth win in six League One matches.
"The table changes so rapidly," he said.
"Had we lost at Stevenage, we could have been fifth from bottom.
"Having won it, we are well up there.
"It is that tight and there are some good teams in there.
"It is a tough league, but we are never content and we would like to be higher than we are."
