Birmingham v Shrewsbury preview: Michael Appleton to take the reins
Michael Appleton will be in the Shrewsbury dugout for the first time this weekend when they make the trip to St Andrew’s.
It is fair to say as far as games go in the third tier of English football, they do not get any tougher than a visit to Blues - they have not lost on home turf all season.
The three League One matches they have lost have come against Charlton in south London, Bolton, and of course, Shrewsbury, in what was Gareth Ainsworth’s first game in charge of the Shropshire outfit.
Chris Davies’ side are nine points clear of Wrexham, but Town’s rivals have played two more matches. Blues would have to bottle it from here to not complete their immediate return to the Championship.
For Salop, there are so many questions heading into this game. What is Appleton going to do with his team? Which players is he likely to favour? What formation is he likely to use?
How can supporters expect his side to play?
What a difficult environment to do it in first up. But don’t worry, it gets easier just a couple of days later, when they make the trip to Wycombe - they are third.
One thing he will want to correct is Town’s lack of goals. They have scored just one goal in their last six matches, and they have lost six out of their last eight.
A few goals will at least bring some kind of pleasure to Shrewsbury fans. Captain John Marquis, who was sent off for an elbow early into Salop’s game with Peterborough, is now set to be available again. A point would be a tremendous result.
