Analysis: Shrewsbury Town have potential to rise above mediocrity

The season certainly feels older than five months for Town fans – the summer rebuild and John Askey saga already feel a lifetime ago.

Shrewsbury have a good squad. It was said so often in the failing regime under Askey, who got nowhere near the amount needed out of the players he had assembled.

But, as Coventry became the final team to play Salop in the first half of the 2018/19 campaign, it is time to again state that League One is much of a muchness this season and there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Well, below fourth of fifth place there is nothing to fear.

The division is low on quality this season and the compact nature of the middling bunch shows as much.

Having watched 22 from 23 league games so far – missing the second weekend of the season at Charlton – I can count on one hand how often I’ve been impressed with opposition. Perhaps that’s harsh. Accrington Stanley, who happen to be Town’s next opponents on Boxing Day, were eye-catching for half an hour before their keeper was sent off and they went down 1-0 to Askey’s men.

High-flying and big-spending Peterborough looked OK at the Meadow just over a week ago, but even then they are leaky and uninspiring at the back.

Games against League One ‘giants’ Portsmouth and Sunderland yielded a 1-1 draw at Pompey (how didn’t Town win?) and 2-0 home defeat. The latter flattered the Black Cats.

The division is a far cry from the one Shrewsbury dominated so often last season.

Anyway, despite the low quality league this year, Shrewsbury still find themselves down in 15th. Not catastrophic, they have put a healthy gap of seven points between themselves and the drop zone, but hardly where they want to be.

But it says a lot that Town can jump into the top half by winning on Wednesday. Yes, other teams are in the mix, but despite a below average half to the campaign they are in a bunch that can rally in the new year and achieve something.

What that ‘something’ transpires to be is up to Ricketts and his players. You feel the club are on an upward trajectory under the new boss and his forward-thinking ideas, but the proof will be in the pudding.

Clubs all the way down to Oxford, in 19th, will probably share Town’s view that, if they can get it right in January and build a head of steam, then a crack at the top half is possible.

Top six would be a big push but – somehow – it is not beyond Shrews.

Town have more pressing matters at hand currently, like winning back-to-back league games, but their deserved victory over a poor Coventry side was certainly a good start.

It probably should have been easier than it was, a one-goal win flattered the visitors, but it was a crucial victory for Ricketts’ men.

The previous game, against Peterborough at home, Salop had been within minutes of registering that all-important first league win under the new boss. To tick that one off sooner rather than later was important.

It was good to see Town see the game out professionally and not let admittedly struggling opposition gain a foothold despite the narrow deficit.

Yes, Mark Robins’ side tossed a few balls into the box late on, but the home side repelled everything. It was a gritty and resilient display, once they fell behind but Coventry were limited and didn’t ask too many questions.

Even Robins admitted City were nowhere near scoring at 0-0. There was only one team in it and on the front foot.

Despite netting the winner after the break, Ricketts was far more chuffed with his side’s first-half display. The Welshman thought his side were excellent for the first 45 minutes and just lacked the killer touch.

Aaron Amadi-Holloway’s decisive goal, a towering bullet header he arrived on to like a rampaging steam train, came just four minutes into the second period.

It threatened to wake the visitors, but they were still in a slumber and never looked like levelling.

Still, Town needed to remain switched on and drilled throughout the team and, particularly through their spine with Mat Sadler, Anthony Grant and Josh Laurent leading the way, they were relentless with their energy.

Ricketts labelled it a team effort, nodding to the will, determination and desire on show. He said fans saw ‘absolute effort’ from blue and amber shirts.

Returning left-back Ryan Haynes deserves credit after filling in for the rested Omar Beckles and looking every bit the part against the club he left in the summer.

Those players listed above all had excellent afternoons and some of Town’s key players are beginning to show improved consistency.

One man beginning to flourish is Saturday’s match-winner. Amadi-Holloway received lavish praise from his boss afterwards. Ricketts spoke about the Welsh forward’s tremendous attributes, stating the striker does not realise how good he is.

It is not the first time Amadi-Holloway’s mentality has been referenced and you feel that if Town’s management can unlock his psyche, there is a real player in there.

At least he is beginning to show he knows where the net is, a doubt in the past, and the cherry on the cake of a dominating display.

It wasn’t to be a consecutive games goal record for Fejiri Okenabirhie, but it’s nice for Salop to not be over-reliant.

Ricketts has been encouraged with some of what he’s seen but he knows there is plenty to work on and plenty of room for his side to develop. Positive results over Christmas could really boost Town’s standing.