Bernard McNally column: Paul Hurst would get my vote to return to Shrewsbury Town

But if I were the man leading the search for Shrewsbury Town’s next manager, then I would be giving serious consideration to approaching Paul Hurst.

The indications are Hurst, who as we know only left six months ago, would be open to a return to Montgomery Waters Meadow.

It also goes without saying there are a number of reasons why that is in all probability unlikely, most notably the manner of his departure which for some fans and people inside the club simply didn’t sit right.

But the bottom line is he did a terrific job at Shrewsbury, quickly transforming a team which looked destined for relegation into one which went to Wembley twice and came within a whisker of promotion.

There are not many managers who have enjoyed that kind of success at the club.

It’s a tough job, as John Askey found out, yet Hurst had a style of play which not only entertained fans but also got results.

True, the speed of his departure following the play-off final defeat stung. But he was offered an opportunity at Ipswich, a bigger club on bigger money, which would have been tough for anyone in his position to turn down.

Things clearly didn’t go as well as he would have hoped at Portman Road and he ended up learning a harsh lesson.

You don’t become a bad manager overnight and his work at Shrewsbury means he won’t be short of suitors.

Whoever replaces Askey in the Shrewsbury hotseat has got a big job on their hands. The biggest challenge must be finding a style of play in order to get the best use out of the squad.

Having been in the position myself, I have sympathy with any manager who gets sacked. I’ve no doubt John will feel he was not given enough time, following a summer where he had to do a lot of rebuilding. Shrewsbury have also won two of their previous three league games.

Yet if we are being honest, it has felt for some weeks as though he was fighting a losing battle. The reaction in the stands after Sunday’s FA Cup game with Salford will have convinced the board, if they hadn’t already made up their mind, that they had to make a change. Looking back now, the real tipping point in his reign was probably the defeat at Oxford.

Shrewsbury had won superbly against Barnsley only a few days previously but the same team put in a performance which was well below-par.

There was simply no consistency and that defeat added to the feeling John was struggling to find a way forward. Things just weren’t working.

One thing his departure should do is provide the players with a kick up the backside.

They too must accept their part in what has been a disappointing season to this point.

Whoever comes through the door next, the players need to step it up.