Peterborough v Shrewsbury: Things don't get any easier as Matt Taylor searches for consistency

Town head to Peterborough tomorrow to take on a side that is currently one point off the top of League One.

Shrews produced decent performances against Wrexham and Fleetwood, but they played their part in an abject game against Stevenage last weekend which ended in defeat.

And Taylor, who is under enormous pressure, says his team needs to be more consistent.

“Obviously, it was a disappointing result, and a disappointing performance last weekend against Stevenage,” he said.

“The players have understandably been a little bit frustrated because they can perform better than they did against Stevenage and they have done earlier in the season.

“The week on the whole has been a positive one.

“Let’s be quite frank and open and honest, the only thing that matters now is the next performance against Peterborough on Saturday.

“What we don’t have here is we do not have a blame culture. What we have is an open and honest discussion, which is chaired by me with the players.

“But nobody ever goes on to a football pitch to make a mistake, we have to make that acutely aware.

“So we are all human beings at the end of the day, and I made hundreds of mistakes when I was a player, and I am sure that everybody in their daily life makes mistakes.

“What is important is that you learn from them.

“That is the challenge for the players. We spend a lot of time in the classroom going over and reviewing previous performances and obviously previewing the next performance coming up.

“The players need to be more consistent, but it is my job to make them more consistent. To make them the best version of ourselves we can be.

“It cannot all be about the players, it cannot all be about me.

“But it is my role to get the best out of them on a consistent basis, I cannot play the game for them so it is their role to go out there and implement the gameplan and be the best version of themselves that they can be.”

Meanwhile, the future of Tom Bloxham is still up in the air.

The winger was recalled from his loan spell at Morecambe last week, and Taylor had hinted that Shrewsbury would consider sending him back out on loan.

Derek Adams, who was the manager who signed him for the Shrimps earlier in the campaign, is understood to be an admirer of Bloxham’s and is keen to take the youngster to his new club Ross County.

But Taylor said decisions will be made depending on what is best for the football club.

Taylor also confirmed that Elliott Bennett has a slight tear in his calf and is expected to be out for 10 to 14 days, something the boss described as a ‘big miss’ whereas Taylor Perry, who did not feature last week against Stevenage is touch and go.