Paul Simpson is confident Shrewsbury Town will have the pulling power to attract players from the Championship as he prepares for his summer re-building programme.
Simpson spoke of his desire to “wheel and deal” during the close season at a well-attended fans forum at Oteley Road last night which drew in more than 300 fans.
Check out our photo gallery below
With Town only guaranteeing their Football League safety at the weekend, club officials are still putting the finishing touches to next season’s budget.
But Simpson is confident he can lure players currently plying their trade in the second tier of English football to Town.
“It’s fair to say we will do really, really well to get a Premiership player to drop down to League Two,” he said.
“That’s just the nature of it because at Premier League level, wages are absolutely unbelievable.
“At Championship level the wages are absolutely ridiculous and that was a massive eye-opener for me when I went from Carlisle to Preston.
“There is a massive difference but they accept they are going to have to drop a League - drop to League One or League Two.
“From what I’m being told - and managers are always telling you what their highest earner is but they are probably lying so they look like they are doing a fantastic job with their team - I actually think we can compete with most League One clubs with the wages we can pay.
“I would like to think we would have a chance of getting players who might be coming out of the Championship.”
Simpson is anxious to oversee change, even though just three of his players are out of contract at the end of the campaign.
“It’s a case case of spending the summer doing a bit of wheeling and dealing to try and create space.
“The chairman is aware there is a need to strengthen the squad.
“He wants to get success next year and the reason I came here was that ambition.
“This was a club I thought had a chance. I haven’t seen anything at the moment to tell me I have made the wrong decision.
“I really do think the team needs a spine throughout, something to build around.
“I have people in mind and I need to smuggle them down to Shrewsbury and the training ground without anyone seeing them, which in today’s world is impossible.
“But that’s what I want to do so we can hit the ground running on July 3 when we are back at pre-season training.”
By James Garrison
13 Comments
The Championship?!
Is he having a laugh?
Why would they drop 2 leagues to play at a club that just battled relegation?
now now we must not be negative or whinge else our betters will tell us off! any way names, leaders and party poopers we need them all to play for us, now who can we attract to an up and coming struggling basement team soon to leap up the league, er hasselbank, fowler, zola, and oh yes beckham all names to conjur with.!!
Thats brilliant, a load of pictures of Paul Simpson and one of the crowd - rivetting stuff!!
Its on a par with this year’s performances
Another day dreaming manager.
i think the fans need to get of paul simpson back he’s only had 8 games incharge i no the resalts havnt been very good but we need to give him a chance
dont juj him for atlest after the next 18 months
in the q & a last night was alot better than the q&a gary petters did
and i think paul simpson will take use far next season
Give Simmo a chance!
Hope this is not another hollow prediction, whats the betting he has to sign hopefuls from the conference because the hoped for from the championship find higher clubs than ours. I wish he would not toy with the fans expectations as GP used to.
i agree give him a chance, next season with a few new faces will see us leaping up the league
Give the bloke a chance - at least he’s showing ambition. Its about time everyone who says they support the team actually started supporting them instead of whinging about this and that.
Just look at what he did at Carlisle - Come on Simmo
we shouldn’t critisis simmo for the next few seasons
with the new faces he’s goin to bring him next season i think we will go far next season
paul simpson is alot better than gary peters was
come on simmo
Yes give the man a chance,He cannot perform miracles with what he inherited and needs to be judged after we have seen the team with the players he brings in. So give Simmo a fair go.
paul simpson i will give you a name, JIMMY RYAN. please give him a go
Hey give him a chance he done a great job for us lot up in carlisle, he will attract some good players, have faith.