Paul Hurst tells Shrewsbury to defy doubters
Defiant boss Paul Hurst has called on Shrewsbury Town to prove the doubters wrong after claiming many will have already written off their chances of beating the drop.
Town head to Millwall tomorrow five points adrift of safety at the foot of League One. Yet Hurst, who replaced Micky Mellon in the Greenhous Meadow hotseat, remains confident of engineering an escape from trouble.
The 42-year-old swapped a possible League Two promotion push with Grimsby for a relegation scrap when he joined the club in October and admits to finding motivation from those who doubt his ability or wisdom – and now wants his players to do the same. "For me, on a personal level, whether it is because I only grew to 5ft 5in tall, I have always felt an element of having to overcome obstacles," said Hurst.
"Going into a sport, people look and think you are never going to be tall enough to make it. Then, as a manager at Grimsby, I was told we were never going to get promoted, yet we did.
"Then, coming here, some people have said it is a surprise and is it really a good move?
"Time will tell ultimately but I came here with an idea of keeping us in the league. It will not be easy. It will take a lot of fight and spirit. But I was up for that and I still am."
Town have won just once in the league since September 3 but Hurst has been encouraged by recent performances and reckons players should find motivation in the fact they are now many people's favourites for the drop.
He added: "The bigger picture is that, if we did a poll now throughout League One clubs – managers, players, fans – and asked them who is going to go down, I'm pretty sure we would be on everyone's list.
"That will make it all the better feeling if you can prove people wrong."
Millwall, beaten play-off finalists last season, have won five of their last eight in the league.
Town have Abu Ogogo back from a three-game ban served for his sending off against Sheffield United.
