Bernard McNally column: Bookies have done Paul Hurst's Shrewsbury Town play-off team talk

It is unusual for the team in third to be play-off underdogs but remember where we started the season!

Paul is probably using that to his advantage. That’s a great team talk for you – hammering home that they are not giving us a prayer. They didn’t give us a prayer at the start and they don’t now.

That’s manna from heaven for Paul. The world is against Shrewsbury Town Football Club. That’ll draw the lads together.

That puts pressure on Charlton. Let’s face it they’re expected to win, down at their place. These recent games matters nothing now. These are cups games.

I think we can do it. If we can get a result away from home the rocking Meadow crowd will give us every chance. I’ve heard the lads are confident and if they’re quietly confident then I’ll be confident with them.

It’ll be a great experience for the players. They’ve learned so much and gained so much experience this season.

But this’ll be something to relish. They’ll enjoy the atmosphere in front of a big, big crowd at Charlton. I remember them in the top flight and playing against them with Shrewsbury in the Second Division.

It’s important that, if you’re going to lose, lose by a single goal. You don’t want two or three goals against you having nothing in reply.

If you come away 0-0 then fantastic. It’s only half-time. Then you get them on our turf.

Nothing’s impossible in football. But it’s important to keep it close. Sneaking a win would be tremendous, but a draw would be fantastic too.

This tremendous Town team can still write history and not have to listen to those of my era talking about where we were – they could create their own history.

Get a good result down there and come back home in a great position.

I remember playing at West Brom going down to Swansea in play-off semi-finals.

We lost 2-1 and snuck the one goal. In the showers after we thought that was a great result.

The goal was a lifeline to win and that’s what we did.

The biggest thing heading into huge games, the biggest you’ve ever played, are anxiety levels. You can’t get over-anxious.

If you start having sleepless nights that is not good.

Usually, 99 per cent of players can handle such a great occasion, they want to be part of it.

I remember Ossie Ardiles saying to me with Albion, he said ‘listen, if you feel nervous, don’t be nervous. If you’ve got a tendency to be nervous, don’t be nervous. Tell yourself you don’t get nervous’.

We started laughing, it’s so simple but it worked.

Do whatever helps keep you calm as a player – but not so that you’re horizontal!