Bernard McNally: Underdogs need to show Shrewsbury cup mentality

When you get to this point, every match must be treated like a cup game.

It's been a disappointing couple of weeks for Paul Hurst, the players and all of the staff.

You shouldn't, but you do look at games against teams below you and think 'we could get points from those'.

They've been sucked back into that cauldron at the bottom and it's going to be vital they have another big effort now.

I've experienced quite a bit of it during my playing days and it's really about all of the players sticking together, working for each other with that sole determination to get three points.

Suddenly getting another couple of results can elevate you so much with how tight things are – Town will be in such a better position if they can do that.

They don't want to end up going into the last three or four games knowing that they must win this or that game.

They got big praise for what they'd done – and rightly so – and Paul will have told his players they are back down to earth with a big bump.

The players will have to show a drive, commitment and togetherness to get out of trouble.

The next three games against Bolton, Bristol Rovers and Millwall are vital. If they do well, they could be out of it.

Wherever Paul is, he'll be hoping and praying that, while other clubs are playing, points are lost – like Vale at Coventry on Tuesday.

The one thing I learned in football and management especially, you have to make it in your hands.

If you're relying on other teams losing, it can go the other way. More often than not it doesn't go your way.

You need to take the authority and power back. Say to yourselves 'no matter what happens to the other teams – we get our preparation and performance right to get a result'.

They have a tough run-in against a lot of sides looking at the play-offs, maybe Shrewsbury will prefer being the underdogs, rather than facing teams around them.

Fingers crossed that is the mentality that the team can take and Paul is able to get that out of the players.

In all honesty they would prefer to not be playing someone in a rich vein of form, like Bolton, but the players won't be under any illusions.

They're playing a side that have scored lots of goals, getting results, you have to hope everybody turns up to the party.

You need 11 players on the pitch all performing their best, likewise with the subs that come on. There can't be any passengers in the next few weeks, or anybody below par.

Paul seems a little unsure what he thinks is the best two in attack at the moment and that's when you want somebody to step up to the mark and show them why they should start, like Freddie Ladapo did when he signed.

The strikers have to show what they've got and repay the manager's trust in them if he starts them.

There's no-one standing out at the moment and Paul will be putting the onus on his forwards to take the opportunity.