Dave Edwards Column: Groundhog Day for Shrewsbury Town

Aspects of the performances of those defeats at Wigan and Doncaster have been encouraging but outcome is the real stark reality of having a squad not able to cope with the midweek games thrown in.

The bench looks probably as light as it has done in the New Meadow era, I’d suggest. That’s nothing against the young lads, it’s a good experience, but the possibility of them getting on the pitch is very small and would be almost unfair.

The starting XI is competitive and the manager has done an amazing job to have the side competing with how light the squad is and injuries mounting.

But at the same time, those lads need help. When the manager turns around 70 minutes into a game he finds he has nothing there to change it.

I don’t want to be disrespectful to the lads. On Saturday he has Cosgrove and Leshabela there who he doesn’t fancy, loan signings he’s brought in but not played – and they haven’t done enough to prove him otherwise, in particular Cosgrove.

And after that it’s just kids. I feel a bit sorry for Charlie Caton, he might’ve had more of a chance. But it’s just hoping the XI on the pitch can do enough and that’s not a position you want to be in.

Steve Cotterill said last year’s squad was too big but I believe he had players who could come on and change it, and I’m not just saying that because I was there!

The manager feels it’s a stronger starting XI this year, but the squad is not nearly as strong and that falls on recruitment. I just hope results come before January and then it’s a huge month for the club.

The lads playing have been terrific. The manager deserves credit for how well the players have done in recent months, but they need help now and January can’t come soon enough.

It has been an unforgiving schedule with three away games and a lot of travel thrown in. But that’s when you need a squad, there will always be injuries and suspensions.

But we’ve gone the other way completely. He will know it’s too light, he’d have wanted to have been able to rotate a little over these games but hasn’t been able to.

It’s three massive games coming now before the new year. So far this season when faced with big adversity, Town have pulled out results.

The group of players have a bundle of courage and they will need every ounce of it against Cheltenham on Saturday to stay clear of the drop zone. I really think the team will kick on once strengthened next month.

I fully expect the manager and his recruitment team to have players lined up for whenever that window opens. I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t and we go into the second or third week.

If that’s the case I assume Cosgrove will go back. When you’re having a bad time in football, fans want players to look like they’re really working for the badge, it’s difficult with loans, but it just doesn’t seem like that. It was telling he didn’t come on at Doncaster.

Likewise I very much doubt Leshabela has enjoyed it in Shropshire, not playing many games. He will probably want to go back.

It could be good for Caton to go out on loan, I think that could be good for his development. Another striker is needed and I think there has to be another right-back or wing-back, maybe if we’d have had a Donald Love or Matty Millar in the squad it would’ve made a huge difference in some games.

We said all along Josh Vela and Dave Davis would pick up niggles and suspensions with the way they play, they need some help in there, so I could argue perhaps two or three different type of midfielders could come in, one attacking type.

And just finally – what a Cup draw! It’s a brilliant tie, arguably the best team in the country at Anfield. I just hope the whole pandemic doesn’t rob fans the chance to go there come January 9.

Hopefully we can fill that Anfield Road end with Shrewsbury fans like last time. It was a special night, we had a goal to celebrate before VAR got involved. It’d be great to play a proper Liverpool team this time, not just kids.

There is money in the coffers for January but an extra lump of cash won’t go amiss. We’d love that replay, so let’s bring that back to the Meadow!