Paul Hurst feels landing top targets is key to Shrewsbury Town improvement
Boss Paul Hurst believes Shrewsbury's ability to land top targets will be key as he eyes big improvements in his first full season at the helm.
The Town chief has discussed his football budget with the club's hierarchy and insists that pushing to secure top targets is crucial to ensure Shrewsbury are not embroiled in their third successive relegation fight.
Hurst has previously alluded to Town narrowly missing out on a top deal towards the back end of the January window, but is fully aware the club are some way from League One's big-hitters in terms of budget.
"You always want more as a manager," Hurst smiled.
"We're never going to have the biggest budget in this league, we know that, and I knew that when I signed.
"As a manager I'm going to push to try and get a bit more because I want us to do as well as possible.
"I've spoke openly about not wanting to be in a relegation battle. In order to do that I think we've got to try and push."
Recently Hurst hailed the leadership of chairman Roland Wycherley, adding that Town are a more stable outfit than most of their Football League rivals.
"I fully understand," added Hurst. "And I've spoke very well of the chairman, that the club is run really well.
"And I understand what he wants to do with it, making sure it's more stable than 99 per cent of other clubs in the Football League.
"From that point of view you can't be critical. I don't want to come here and ruin a football club.
"The overall aim here is, whenever I leave – and I'll probably get shouted at for even mentioning the word 'leave' – is that the club's in a better position, whether that's league position, infrastructure, the whole set-up or if we've got a group of players we could get a lot of interest in."
Chief executive Brian Caldwell added: "The full club budget is set by reinvesting all it can back into the football budget, but it needs to be sustainable so every extra fan coming to support the club can only help what is available to reinvest in the team.
"Last season our average home league crowd was 5,500 but if we could add even another 500 each week that could potentially add quite a considerable amount to the football budget."
