A New Era will shortly be commencing at League One struggles Shrewsbury Town this week, with experienced EFL manager Gareth Ainsworth taking charge of the side, following the departure of Paul Hurst at the start of the month.
The Shrews have had a tough start to their third-tier campaign, currently sitting rock bottom of the table with just two wins from their opening 15 matches, and are already 6 points away from safety and have played a game more than Wigan Athletic who sit just above the relegation zone. Hurst’s last match in charge was a 2-1 defeat to Salford City in the Fa Cup, a match they should have been looking to win against a side in the division below.
Ainsworth wants to bring the identity back to the football club, and when speaking to The Shropshire Star, outlined his intentions to bring momentum back after a difficult few months for the players and supporters:
“They are great people, they have had it tough over the last few weeks and months, and you can see that, you can feel it.
“From this moment, this is going to change. I want positive vibes, I want to be a spark and almost a catalyst for some winning mentality and some different attitude around the place.”
Saturday’s visit of Birmingham will be one of the hardest tests Ainsworth could possibly face after his spell out of management since leaving QPR, with The Blues squad on paper far superior and in fine form, second in the league with a game in hand on leaders Wycombe Wanderers, a club Ainsworth knows very well after recently securing promotion with The Chairboys:
“It is going to take some real building (to get Shrewsbury to the level his Wycombe side reached). There could be some pain at the start. I am not stupid. I am not going to come in and wave a magic wand and start getting results.
“We have Birmingham next weekend at home. That is going to be a tough game. “With the position we are in, there could be a little bit of pain at the start, but I am asking people to stay with us. To recognise what we are to try and buy into that because I am going to need those fans, and I am going to need the people around the club.”
Writers View:
Gareth Ainsworth thrives off a big occasion and will be relishing the test of the best team in the league as his first game in charge, you feel as though it’s a clever appointment from Shrewsbury Town to put their faith in a man who knows the league so well to get them out of trouble.
Birmingham have already won 0-4 at The Crown Meadow this season in the EFL Trophy, and will be looking to do the same on Saturday to keep the pressure on Wycombe above them.
