Shrewsbury Town's Mike Jackson in plea for united front

Jackson, chairman Roland Wycherley and the playing squad have all come in for criticism following Saturday's disappointing 3-2 defeat to relegation rivals Bristol City.

The Town chief said he fully understands fans' frustrations with their league position – second bottom and four points from safety – and admitted that mistakes had been made this season.

But he added that now – with 12 games remaining and a relegation battle to fight – was not the time for recriminations.

He said: "We are obviously disappointed, but I think there needs to be a reality check.

"I have had a lot of people say to me over the weekend, texting and other stuff as well, saying 'the club's a joke, the chairman is the problem.'

"But the chairman has been here for nearly 20 years now. He has taken the club from an old ground to a new ground, play-offs and promotion.

"He doesn't pick the team, he doesn't buy the players, he doesn't train the players.

"He has backed, as far as I know, every manager that he has had and he has done that to me so far.

"So where that has come from, the anonymous texts and stuff like that, I don't know and it is garbage from my point of view."

• Watch the video interview with Mike Jackson here

Jackson, who has bolstered the squad with a handful of loan signings, added: "We have got to realise that we are near the bottom of the league and there is only certain players that we are going to get.

"Now the players that have come in are trying and they need encouragement first and foremost.

"Anyone can be negative but what we need now is positivity and solutions.

"The time for the post-mortem, if you want to put it like that, is the end of the season.

"We know in hindsight we have made mistakes, but now is not the time to do that.

"We are fighting the fight of our lives and what is needed is for everybody to be with us."