Paul Hurst promises suitable cover in new Shrewsbury Town squad
Paul Hurst wants to make sure he has more than enough cover to help Shrewsbury Town achieve their aims and ambitions next season.
The boss has targeted a squad of 22 senior professionals – plus youngsters – for the 2017/18 season and won’t rush the building of his squad to be completed by League One’s curtain-raiser on August 5.
The Greenhous Meadow boss made eight January signings as he desperately sought to beef up Town’s squad in preparation for a survival battle.
Hurst was even left with six loan signings, when just five are permitted in a match day squad.
Town were caught short before the winter window leading to Hurst naming incomplete substitute benches.
“I do believe you need a squad,” said Hurst. “I’d hate to be unsuccessful in the run-in if it were through not having enough players.
“I went with the six loans and to give me an easy life I probably should’ve stuck with five, but in the end there proved value in it.
“It proved it was the right thing to do. You can’t just stockpile relentlessly but you’ve got to give yourself a chance.
“You’re extremely lucky if you’ve got every one of your players fully available.”
The ex-Grimsby chief did admit that assembling his squad by the August 5 kick-off would be ideal, but as Town played eight matches before the closing of the window knows injuries could change those plans.
Hurst referenced one of his former Grimsby stalwarts, and ex-Town midfielder, Craig Disley, as an example of injury records.
Disley broke his ankle shortly into his Town spell and spent a number of months on the sidelines. He went on to spend five years with Hurst at Blundell Park.
He said: “Last season I had reports from the staff about injuries and various other things. I think we picked up some quite early on.
“If that happened again then you need cover, especially if they’re lengthy injuries.
“There’s an element of picking players that historically have been injury free. But who knows, you make a tackle or go over on your ankle, they’re things that are hard to stop.
“There was Craig Disley, I was questioned about his injury record and I think he hardly missed a day’s training all of the time he was there.
