A dejected looking Paul Simpson, the head coach/manager of Shrewsbury Town
Paul Simpson has accused his Shrewsbury Town players of lacking respect for the club, shirt and the FA Cup after suffering a second dose of first round humiliation.
Town followed up their defeat at Blyth Spartans 12 months ago by falling at the first hurdle to part-timers again on Saturday, going down 1-0 to Blue Square South outfit Staines.
It is the first time Shrewsbury have been beaten at home in the FA Cup by non-League opposition.
The inquest began immediately after the final whistle on Saturday night, with Simpson spending 40 minutes in the dressing room with his players.
And the Town boss was angry his squad had failed to heed the lessons from Blyth 12 months ago.
“How we defended their goal was a concern,” said Simpson. “But the bigger concern for me is how little we produced going forward, what poor quality we had when we did get into good areas, the lack of enthusiasm, the lack of respect for the competition, the lack of respect for the shirt, for the club.
“You couldn’t have asked for any more from the draw – and I’m not being disrespectful to Staines in anything I say because they deserved to win.
“I hear all the moaning from the crowd, but how can I affect players putting corners out directly behind the goal?
“How can I affect players passing a simple 10 yard ball which misses our player and goes to their players?
“How can I affect players not being able to control it and not reacting when the ball goes over the top of them?
“It’s difficult and the players have got to take a long hard look at themselves.
“They have got to realise the importance of this life and career they have got.
“They have to make sure they do the professional side of it and not just have the professional football life – and we didn’t do the professional side of it on Saturday.”
Simpson insisted his side were perfectly prepared for the meeting with Staines.
“We had four match reports and I have been down to Staines to watch them and we were probably more prepared for this than Notts County last week,” he added.
“But the group of players involved on Saturday and at Notts County last week, it was like different people.
“I don’t see the same characters, same mental strength and determination and I can only put it down to individuals.
“You have players who want to do it right. Graham Coughlan tried to do it properly and lead, Paul Murray tried to get on the ball and get it going.
“Dave Hibbert worked hard and tried to get it going, Lewis Neal popped up into areas but we didn’t get the quality from him and Kevin McIntyre has worked his socks off and tried to affect the game.
“But we were caught way short and that’s not through a lack of preparation.”
Simpson admitted the defeat could affect next week’s attendance for the League visit of Torquay.
“3,500 people turned up and paid good money and they have seen our footballers go out and not earn that right to be professional footballers,” he added.
“I think it would be fair to say we have probably lost some for next weekend.
“But all we can do is go and work hard and try and build it back up again.
“The reaction has to come next Saturday.”
By JAMES GARRISON
12 Comments
Embarrassed by the lack of proffessionalism. Shame on the team for costing the suppoters the opportunity of rare adventure in the cup and costing the club significant revenue.
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should’nt of let andy cook go
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I don’t think the players brought in over the summer are good enough. I’m talking about Bright, Elder, Chri Neal, Jake Simpson, Arestidou. We would have been better off on Saturday with Steve Leslie up front. I like Hooman as a future prospect, but I reckon we need better cover for right back too.
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Funny isn’t it, nothing is ever Simpsons fault! Clock is ticking Paul, start clearing your desk I reckon!
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Well, a home defeat by a non league club for the first time in the club history, there are a lot of players in the Football League who think that beating these teams is easy, I watch a lot of non legue football in Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire and Wiltshire as well as being a life supporter of the town. These teams are fit and have a lot of of British players who years ago would have played football league but are being driven to non league by the influx of foreign players. Wake up Salop and get mentally tuned in .
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Good on Simmo I say – a gutless performance from a team who didn’t give Staines enough respect and seemingly expected to turn up and win. The way we were played off the park was embarrasing to watch. I think the manager was let down just as much as the fans, with one or two exceptions the players the the club and supporters down badly.
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It was pathetic to watch. There is only one thing consistent about the team and that is their total and utter inconsistency. They once again demonstrated all that is wrong and that is “attitude” and “mind-set”, this is quite evident and it reflects directly on Simpson. I am with Brimondo, any manager who puts out a team in the frame of mind that “anything will do” is half way to the chop – or should be. This was a disgrace.
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has time come at last for new management at the club, i doubt if simmo’s team of dog daisies could beat upton magna academicals. time for a big clear out down the meadow including simpson!
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Why blame the manager, Brimondo?
He’s not the one kicking the ball?
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the manager is supposed to prepare the team for an alleged easy win against a side 2 leagues down from town. the team were ill prepared against both blyth and staines.
still if he gets us in the playoffs or better, perhaps in time we will look back on our early exits from the cup and laugh?
come on simmo sort em out
floreat salopia and let the time between the stains of november and the ides of march be a lot more productive than last year!!
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I would like the opportunity to tell those players exactly what I think too!!! Having spent some of my very scarce money taking my son to this game for a bit of FA cup atmosphere we were both desperately disappointed.
I can’t afford to take him to many games although he would love to go every week and we picked this game as we anticipated a good crowd atmosphere and lots of goals – hopefully for the Town.
Shocking performence, totally gutless and lacking commitment. Should have put local lad Leslie on – at least he would have pride in his home town.
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I don’t buy the “prepare the team” argument, cothercott.
Surely to god, a professional football player doesn’t suddenly lose his ability overnight which means that he has temporarily lost his enthusiasm? Yet, almost every footballer, prior to a game against a lowly side, always says something like, ‘never underestimate the opposition in this competition, it’s just one game at a time’. Well surely, if that’s the case, just play your bloody socks off anyway as if you’re up against Inter Milan.
Are they really that desperate for “supportive” words from their manager??
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