Shrewsbury Town debrief: Taylor Perry to stay and a clean slate for Salop
Shrewsbury Town supporters will breathe a sigh of relief the football season has finished for a few months.
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Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Crawley Town marked the end of the campaign, with Salop finishing rock bottom of the third-tier table.
It now means, for a brief spell, supporters can switch off before the club begin to rebuild their squad ahead of next season.
Once the released and retained list has been announced, the 2024/25 chapter can close, and a new one can begin.
Michael Appleton's appointment gives cause for optimism
You can see the progress that Shrewsbury have made in the early stages of Appleton’s tenure in charge.
They have completely changed the way they play. Under Gareth Ainsworth they were direct, they fed off set pieces, but under their new boss, they have been far more possession-based.
And considering they pretty much played every couple of days since he was appointed, and he has been restricted with the time he has on the training ground - they have made some good strides forward.
The 49-year-old is an experienced operator. He is well connected with some pretty big clubs around the country - hopefully, he and director of football Micky Moore can build a competitive squad.
Taylor Perry to stay for 2025/26
The decision to activate the extension clause in Perry’s contract does not come as a surprise. Appleton had said he was ‘delighted’ with his contribution since he joined the club.
Perry is an energetic midfielder who, on the whole, has been decent since he arrived in Shropshire back in 2023.
What he does have as well is the capacity to develop. At just 23, he has a high ceiling.
With Appleton’s reputation for developing young players, Perry could feature a lot next season with Town dropping down a level.
A chance to wipe the slate clean
There is no dressing it up. The 2024/25 campaign was as miserable as they come. There was the occasional game where Town produced a shock result - home wins over automatic promotion achievers Birmingham and Wrexham - but they were outliers.
It started with a defeat at Stevenage, and it did not get much better - on or off the field - as even the proposed takeover with an American businessman fell through right at the end of the season.
But that has gone. A new season, with a relatively new manager with his newly assembled and purpose-built squad, allows Salop to start afresh.
