Simpson: “Forget play-offs — for now”
Wednesday 31st March 2010, 11:49AM BST.
Manager Paul Simpson is aiming to take the pressure off faltering Shrewsbury Town, declaring: “Forget the play-offs for now.”
Town have lost four consecutive games to leave even their League Two play-off promotion hopes hanging by a thread.
Manager Simpson took the brunt of the flak from fans after last Saturday’s shock 2-0 reverse at home to bottom club Darlington.
And he wants his players to focus solely on winning the Easter Saturday trip to Torquay United, rather than worrying about the big picture.
“We’ve got to forget about everything that has gone on and not even think about the play-offs,” said Simpson.
“Instead of talking about wanting to achieve something, let’s try and go out just thinking about winning one game of football.
“You can’t take the pressure off completely, the players feel it even though it’s me getting the abuse.
“But we’re away from home on Saturday so it might be a little bit different. Hopefully the players can go out and play.”
Simpson admits he is under pressure after Shrewsbury’s worst run of results this season.
But he insists it is nothing he has not handled before and is ready to face the challenge head on.
“I’d rather have this sort of pressure – being in the top half and trying to get promotion instead of being at the bottom and going out of the league,” he declared.
“I’d rather be winning games of football of course. March has not been a good month and I’ll be glad to see the back of it and get into April.”
Meanwhile, Simpson named a strong reserve side for this afternoon’s clash at totesport.com Central Division leaders Derby, a match being played at Alfreton’s Impact Arena.
It featured nine players who have first team experience this season, with Dutchman Benjamin van den Broek set to get an attacking role playing off striker Kris Bright.
Team for reserve game at Derby: Arestidou, D Taylor, Goldson, Hooman, Wells, van den Broek, Richards, J Simpson, L Neal, Leslie, Bright.
By CHRIS HUDSON
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“Forget the Play-offs” – until next season. Why?
Consider this:
The squad we have now, in all probability, would have struggled at best in League 1 and most likely would come straight back down.
Commercially, this would not be good. The reason: Next season is the 125th anniversary of this great club. What the Club need is something to celebrate in their 125th year. Something to sell merchandise by. Something to make a good profit out of.
Being successful next season will mean 1000′s of replica kits being sold; 1000′s of 125th anniversary scarfs, mugs etc.
Struggling and getting relegated would mean very little of the above and very little profit.
So next season, expect at least the Play-offs and more likely automatic promotion and big fat profits from the merchandise.
This season, well, let’s start building for next year’s big push.
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Last season’s squad would have struggled in League One too.
Simpson is no-where near building a decent squad in the two years he’s had. The few good players we do have are loanees or ironically, players that our esteemed manager didn’t rate, e.g Dave Hibbert
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Makes a change for the manager to issue a statement without blaming the fans! At least he’s has now realised we aren’t going to make the play-off’s, next thing is for him to resign and we can start looking forward to next season, although I’m still amazed the board have allowed Simpsons comments about the fans to pass without comment. They clearly don’t care about the him insulting the fans – perhaps they’d rather we stopped going.
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Simmo’ is a poor judge of player so Roland please don’t give him any more cash !
I hope we lose at Torquay then we are more likely to be rid of him – let Dave Hughes take over for the half dozen or so games as there will be nowt at stake. Apart from our pride of course – which would be nice to have back…
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The only thing they can do now to save face, is aim to finish in the top half of the league,roll on next season.
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Finally a bit of sense from Simpson!
Might I recommend that you start next season with the same attitude rather than harping on about a “promotion run-in” before the first ball has been kicked. Perhaps then, when the inevitable mid/ bottom table finish happens, the manger, team and fans don’t look like a bunch of idiots like you do now!
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I haven’t been proud to be a Town fan since we got rid of the Loggerheads.
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Whether this season’s squad would compete in League 1 is irrelevant. Only 10 players are still under contract this summer and next season’s squad will look much different regardless of which division Town are playing in next season.
This theory of picking and choosing when it’s best to get promoted to League 1 is a strange one, you grab it with both hand when you can as there as no guarantees in football. The season before we were relegated to the Conference demonstrates that only too well.
Regarding the comment about something being built. That would be very good to finally see, but just like the last few summers we’ll see another squad dismantled and yet another new one assembled, where is anything being built?
Can anyone really make any sensible case for Paul Simpson being given another big budget to build yet another squad this summer?
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do me a favour “roland don’t give him any more money” the poor manager has had to run this great club on a shrewstring of £80k all season. roland might as well have given the man an empty brown paper bag to blow up. how is a manager with no assistant expected to manage, you can do it for so long before tiring. nearly 100% of blame can be laid at the directors door while simmo is left out to dry with the fans abuse hurled at him.
time for a new chairman and board. when the annual figures are produced there may be some embarrassing questions asked of our board the first one being where has all the money gone from players sales
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“i hope we lose at torquay so they sack the manager” what stuff and nonsense from a once respected fan and blogger, pathetic must be having dizzy spells or its the time of life
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bring back chic bates! town are rubbish the club is too expensive and are boring!
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atchamjack – don’t forget the wages that the players Simpson has signed – he has been allowed to pay big wages to players like Button, Cureton, Neal, and Holden. Our wage budget is the 3rd highest in league 2 and is much better than many town managers have had in the past, yet Simpson has made a complete pigs ear of this season and has made very poor signings. The chairman is right to keep his money until a new boss is appointed
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Poor old Simpson, having to manage on one of the highest budgets in the division, it’s a hard life!
That old chestnut about no assistant being dragged up again I see. He has spoken about this numerous times this season including at the recent Q&A.
The money from John McMahon was used to employ a goalkeeping coach, Dave Timmins, that was Simpson’s choice. He choose to work without an assistant and from the recent Q&A it’s clear he is still happy to work without one.
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Lelo said, “roll on next season”. Why I may ask. It is all predictable, they will start off like “blue a..ed flies”, playing blinding games and with everyone chomping at the bit for promotion. Then, when their position in League 2 is confirmed and promotion is a distinct possibility, the rot we have had all these years before will set in and we start the run all over again like we have just had.
The strategy of the town is to start off well, then have a phase of playing like a village club then finish off the season sufficiently good enough to hold their place in the league. Good and successful clubs are consistent – we are anything but that. We haven’t got a clue what to expect whether our opponents are above or below us in the league – as recent results show. We don’t deserve anything better in league terms.
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