Bernard McNally column: Shrewsbury's stunning display of support for Paul Hurst
The Shrewsbury players rallied around Paul Hurst and did the talking at Charlton on Saturday.
It was a tremendous result and performance in the capital, particularly after Paul was not very happy with some of the fans booing and so on a week ago,
As I said in last week’s column, you let your players do the talking. I’m sure after the players read the manager’s comments they wanted to rally around him because he must be a great manager to play for.
There is nothing like players helping you out as a manager. It was a great result. They just keep proving people wrong.
I love it. You look and think ‘maybe they could get a draw’, that was my thought, but they keep proving us wrong – it’s been such a fantastic season.
It was vital last week that Town did pick up the three points at Charlton after seeing Wigan, Blackburn and Rotherham win.
It’s been funny, throughout the season we’ve been saying ‘oh we’re only five games in’, then it’s ‘15 games in’, then it’s ‘the Christmas period is vital’ and now this run-in period – it just shows that in football it is all about consistency. It is paramount and Town have done it.
It’s still going to be so tough for those top two spots. It will be nice, as a Town fan, to see them mathematically secure the play-off places. That would be fantastic.
I was so pleased to see Alex Rodman break the deadlock in such style. He has got some talent, along with fellow wideman Shaun Whalley. Alex showed he can drift in from that left side. He is now bringing more to the party
I alluded to it with Nathan Thomas coming in during January and vying for the position, it might be a kick up the backside the wingers need.
I’m delighted and it will do Alex’s confidence the world of good. If your strikers are not getting goals week in, week out then you need wingers to be getting them.
Without a doubt Paul will want to put the winless home run to bed and get it out the way as Peterborough visit the Meadow this Saturday.
The players can hopefully then get back into their stride on home soil. Paul will be making the players aware that they have got to produce something at home.
It has not been the best for us in four games but they will be after a result to give the home crowd something to cheer.
Peterborough will have added impetus under new boss Steve Evans because their players will want to prove they should be in the side.
That could be a little bit of a problem for Town, with the visitors stepping up their game.
But we’ve got to hope the players are on song on Saturday and ready to capitalise on what they did at Charlton, especially with Wigan playing Blackburn on Sunday lunchtime.
