Manager Paul Simpson has admitted Shrewsbury Town are likely to require more than one win from their remaining five matches to guarantee their Football League survival.
Saturday’s dismal second half collapse at Chesterfield has left Town just six points above the League Two relegation zone.
Many observers have long felt Town required just three more points to ensure they remain out of the bottom two.
But, with the bottom six teams now closing up to create a congested bottom of the League Two table, Simpson feels his side may require more than one success to absolutely guarantee safety.
Asked if his side will require more than one win, the manager replied: “It’s looking that way.
“We have to shake ourselves down and do something about the situation.
“There were a couple draws elsewhere but we shouldn’t have to rely on anyone else.
“Until we get our fingers out and get that result, unfortunately, we are going to have to keep an eye on what others are doing.”
Simpson was left furious by his side’s defensive showing at the start of the second half where Chesterfield were allowed to run in three goals inside the opening 14 minutes.
“It was total suicidal defending and we handed the game to them in a 14-minute spell,” he added.
“We thought we got away with three of our own mistakes in the first half and we drummed into the players that if we didn’t cut out those stupid mistakes, then we would get punished.
“The first three goals were pathetic and you don’t stand a cat in hell’s chance if you defend like that.
“There has got to be a weakness there because you can’t have one 45 minutes like the first half and the second being like a totally different side, and that’s something that will have to change.”
Simpson was today attempting to lift his players ahead of tomorrow night’s trip to Morecambe.
He will also be anxiously checking on the fitness of on-loan defender Graeme Lee who was substituted after 73 minutes on Saturday and taken to hospital with a nasty facial injury.
By James Garrison
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18 Comments
Everyone is going on about an experienced spine to the team to end this run were having.At one time we did.Makenzie in goal ( hes gone ) Murdock in defence ( whats happened to him ) with either Graham or Kelvin or both for that matter. Drummond in mid field ( hes gone )and cookey up front.What a shame we have never had them all on the field together.
Common Town were all behind you.
the first thing a team needs mr simpson when they are on the floor is encouragement. to call some or all your players pathetic mr simpson is really going to inspire them or not as is the case. you inherited an excellent squad from gary peters who regrettably decided to part company with the club, and what precisely has your contribution been mr simpson. the word pathetic appears to refer to someone nearer to you i suggest. now mr simpson if it is not beyond your capabilities do try and inspire the team otherwise your tenure at otely road may be as limited as your motivation skills, and no mr simpson i for one am not impressed with the solitary point from an obviously low morale team during your reign.
Thats it Devon get behind the club, give us 100% support for the last few games and leave the gaffer to do his job and decide how to kick ass and manage the team. With supporters like you who needs critics. What is your motivation are you hoping for a couple of games against Exeter next season???
devonsalopian. Oh give it a rest. Ok Paul Simpson has given the team a rocket but they needed it.
As regards inheriting and excellant squad, why did Gary Peters lose his job then. Get real we are in dire straights and need supporters to back Paul Simpson.
Devon,
Your comments are the funniest thing i’ve read since Glynn’s barber comments of last week.
How can you be so thick with only one head?
the obvious conclussion is that you haven’t seen many games this season.
Devon Salopian,
Perhaps by calling some of his players pathetic Paul Simpson is just telling it as it is. What good is saying things are alright when clearly they aren’t. Both Simpson and Peters have tried everything going to get a performance out of this team and nothing seems to work. Maybe, just maybe insulting their professional pride is what is needed to get a reaction, even if just to try and prove the manager wrong. I cannot agree with your claim that Simpson inherited an excellent squad from Gary Peters who regrettably decided to part company with the club. Peters should have been sacked before Christmas to give the new manager time. The present squad of players is the worst ever in the Town’s history, worse even than Ratcliffe’s team, at least with Rodgers, Lowe, Aiston and Jemson in the side we were capable of scoring a few goals. Gary Peters brought load of players to the club who just aren’t up to the job, no pride, no passion and a lack of quality. Paul Simpson has got one hell of a job on his hands with the mess Peters left him. I doubt Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho or any other manager you care to mention could get this lot to perform. The only saving grace is that Wrexham are worse than us and we should get the 3 points we need to survive and then the clear out can begin in the summer.
b-o-r-i-n-g, how about writing something of interest to the majority,that is for people that pay for a NEWSpaper?
Norman ( b-o-r-i-n-g ) Your obviously in the wrong section of this paper.You will have to go back to the main menu to find news on bus stop erections in Monkmoor.
Town need to go out tonight and fight like hell for a point.They need to protect Garner and make sure Morc’m cant hoof one through a crowded penalty area by closing down quickly.Garner just cant seem to keep them out.
I just wish we had more keeper cover as Im sure Esson or Makenzie would be between the sticks by now.
Hi doger
I thought Garner had everything fixed now he’s got a new haircut.
Didn’t realise Monkmoor was having new bus stops!
Yeah Will
Hi Martinshrew.
Perhaps thats Garners problem,his hair was getting in his eyes at crucial moments!!!
Actually Monkmoor isnt getting any new bus stops as far as im aware but it will give Norman something to do trying to find the story!!!
Back to the game tonight.Lets hope our defence has a good night with both Kelvin & Graham out as the Morc’m midfield is going to have Drummond and Sorvel playing and if they both have a good game its going to be busy.
Common Town a draw will be OK and then have a real go at Wrexham this Sunday.
doger, As I recall he had his hair cut before last Saturday and as a result he predicted that would be the catalyst to send us on an unbeaten run. (perhaps thats now sapped his strength just like a certain biblical character).
That was a cruel rues about the bus stops, I was so excited I nearly put a bet on that we would actually score tonight. After that let down I now think I have a better chance of scoring. Oh dear the missus says the headaches back.
nice to be popular again, good luck town tonight.
1 point or 3 wiil do. i certainly am not praying for 2 games against exeter unless exeter were to get promotion.
i still think pathetic is an unhelpful comment to make to a team whose morale may be on the floor. i would love town to take 4 points over the next 2 games. it needs players motivated and confident enough to score the goals, just a little encouragement before each game might work wonders.
if the same squad can draw against the top 2 teams under macca, then i am sure with the right motivation paul simpson will get results. it irked me that the manager went public with his pathetic call to the media. by all means tell the lads within the dressing room what is required of them but to tell the press smacks of desperation and is grossly unfair to the squad. come on town winkle some cockles tonight floreat salopia
He’s tried the softly softly approach. Now its time to kick some butt and shoot from the hip. He’s right to go public, we all need to know that when enough is enough, we have a boss who is prepared to speak his mind. I hope he has shocked them out of their comfort zone and they perform the way we know they are more than capable of tonight. Last Saturday was not a one off, they have been seriously under performing for weeks, nobody is asking them to do anything they are not capable of. He needs to read them the riot act before tonights game not pussy foot around whinging about morale (morale is not a condition its an excuse). Now lets get positive and go out there and stuff em. We should fear no one in this league.
andy, a vick sniffer is good for thick heads try chewing one
Some of the comments from Carlise and Preston fans suggested that Simpson does have a habit of blaming others when things are not going well, and we’re perhaps seeing a bit of that in his recent comments. Ok the squad he’s inherited isn’t the best, but its more than capable of finishing higher up the table than we currently are.
A lot of supporters I know felt that the team had become scared to play under Peter’s, but that they seemed to come out of their shell a bit during the two games McMahon was in charge. Since Simpson took over they seem to have become scared to play again, and our current league position and chants from the crowd can’t help.
I’m sure if we can get through this season and stay up Simpson will learn a lot. He’s a young manager and that has probably shown in his tactics, signings and comments since he joined us. He’ll also get to know a bit more about us as a club and as supporters and maybe realsie that an arm round the shoulder of players to boost their confidence might be better than giving them a rocket.
An arm round the shoulder? Come on who are you kidding? If they were in the army (the British Army are quite successful, they win wars) they would all be put on jankers for a fortnight then you would see confidence, morale, results etc. improve.
meadow matt you are quite right, what made me so angry was that paul went public with his pathetic call and this caused me to write some uncharitable things about the new manager, for which i apologise. if morale is on the floor then an arm round the shoulder will help. congratulations paul for the brave positional changes you made last night and for your contribution to a very well earned point. now that we are all singing from the same song sheet we pray for the right results on saturday and a stunning victory on sunday, advance salopia.