John Askey: No regrets taking on Shrewsbury Town job

Askey, who believes he will be sacked if they fail to win at AFC Wimbledon today, became Town chief in June on a three-year deal.

The 53-year-old insists the Salop job was simply too good to pass up, despite knowing Paul Hurst’s success was always going to be very difficult to replicate.

“I was really pleased to be given the opportunity, and I’ve still got an opportunity,” said Askey, who is considered a legend among the Silkmen fanbase after leading them back to the Football League.

“Shrewsbury Town is a good club. I knew it was going to be tough, but I was in a position where if I didn’t take the Shrewsbury job in League One, then what do you take?

“There’s pitfalls with every job, but you’ve got to make the most of it.

“I’ve had a good opportunity here so if it doesn’t go right, you won’t find me moaning about ‘this wasn’t right and that wasn’t right’.

“It’ll just be ‘you’ve got to move on’. Shrewsbury Town is a really good club, with a good atmosphere about it.

“That’s why I want to do well, not only for myself but for everybody here.”

Askey brushed off talk of him losing the dressing room.

He says Town, made up largely of first-teamers, beating Walsall 3-0 in a reserve game on Tuesday proved the players are behind him.

“You’re looking at their attitude as much as anything,” added Askey about the victory at The Banks’s.

“They’ve all showed a really good attitude and have done in every game we’ve played. When anybody’s called on, they always have a go. Nobody has thrown their toys out of the pram – and that’s really pleasing.

“Things are right. The atmosphere is good. If you go around the dressing room, they’re quite buoyant. They seem as though they’re enjoying themselves.”