Shrewsbury Town boss John Askey: 50 points is first target

The EFL fixtures were released yesterday and Town will kick off the 2018/19 season by welcoming Bradford City to the Montgomery Waters Meadow.

They head to Charlton Athletic, who they beat in the play-off semi-finals last season, the following weekend.

On Boxing Day, Salop go to Accrington Stanley. They go up against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light three days later.

Town also face Burton Albion (away), Peterborough United (home) and Coventry City (home) in what is a tough-looking December.

Summing up what he wants to achieve this season, Askey said: “I take each game as it comes, I think you have to put everything into it.

“It doesn’t matter who you play. I think if you start looking too far ahead then you lose sight of the next game and that’s always the most important.

“Once you’ve finished, whether you’ve won or lost, the next game is always the most important and that’s how you have to look at it as a player and a manager.

“I think your first aim is to always get to 50 points as soon as possible.

“Once you do that then the pressure’s off and the sooner we do it the better because then we can start to concentrate on the most important thing, which is promotion. But first and foremost you’ve got to make sure you are safe.”

Salop host fierce rivals Walsall on the final day of the campaign and go to the Banks’s Stadium on October 2.

“I think everybody looks forward to seeing who we’ve got, especially early on”, Askey added.

“I’m sure that everybody will be looking for the Sunderland game, that’s obviously the big one, and the Walsall game, obviously a local derby.

“But it’s nice to have it in front of you so that you can start to plan a little bit.”