Omar Beckles high on confidence with Shrewsbury's solid defensive unit
Omar Beckles feels Shrewsbury are showing signs of the defensive unit that helped lead them to the play-off final two seasons ago.
Town stalwart Beckles, who has been a part of Sam Ricketts’ back three this season, has drawn comparisons to the defence that helped clinch 18 league clean sheets under Paul Hurst in 2017/18.
Beckles, 28 next month, played a lead role in the side that battled to a shut-out at Rotherham on Saturday, the fourth in nine League One outings so far this term.
“It definitely had that same sort of feel. I definitely felt like we weren’t going to concede,” Beckles’ said of the gritty display in Yorkshire. “It’s the same sort of feeling we had that season, so that’s definitely a positive and long may that continue.
“You just get the feeling (they won’t score). Some things go your way, you get the right block, the deflection goes off target, you just think it is your day.
“We back ourselves, at the end of the day, no matter who we go up against in this league. On our day we believe we are better than our opponents.
“We need to take the form into the game against Fleetwood and do the same.”
Ricketts has said he has four very good central defenders in Beckles, Ro-Shaun Williams, Ethank Ebanks-Landell and Aaron Pierre to use in his 3-5-2 system.
Beckles’ Grenada team-mate Pierre is nursing a calf knock that could see him sidelined for a week or two.
The Town stopper also reserved praise for goalkeeper Max O’Leary, who has impressed so far on loan from Bristol City.
“We mentioned it in the dressing rooms how relieved you feel when the keeper comes and claims a cross,” Beckles said. “You know ‘Oh gosh, we don’t have to deal with this’. The more he can do that the better for us. But even when he doesn’t come we dealt with it.”
