Shrewsbury Town comment: Patience required to turn slow start around

The former Macclesfield boss was very keen to keep the ‘feelgood factor’ from last season ticking over at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Instead, he has equalled records for the wrong reasons in one of the poorest starts to a season in Town’s long history – a harsh fact given the decent football on show.

As expectations rose he was dealt a dreadfully tough hand upon joining as last season’s squad was decimated.

He was well aware that keeping the plus points from last term would require his newly-assembled side hitting the ground running.

They haven’t done so. It doesn’t mean they won’t go on and be a decent side this season, but results have not gone to plan for the new chief.

If anything that it an understatement, Askey’s start to his Shrewsbury tenure is, after six games, matching the worst start in the club’s history.

Salop history has divided opinion as to whether sticking with your guns and giving the manager a chance to fight their way out of trouble, or pulling the trigger, has paid dividends.

Askey’s men join Asa Hartford and Ian McNeill’s sides of 1990/91 and 1988/89 in finding themselves winless after six league games.

The seasons draw further parallels of three draws and three defeats.

Under McNeill, Shrewsbury achieved a momentous Division Two survival in 1987/88 with Vic Kasule and David Geddis netting vital goals.

But they were not so lucky the next year as an extremely slow start of no wins in 10 league games caught up with them and, despite a flurry of late John McGinlay goals, Town went down finishing third-bottom.

McNeill remained in place at Gay Meadow, despite the drop down, until January 1990.

Hartford, though, paid for his poor start and was sacked in January 1991 – after just a year in the job – and was immediately replaced by John Bond. Salop survived in the third tier, eventually finishing 18th following a decent turnaround in form.

Jake King, Fred Davies and Maurice Evans all picked up one win and five defeats from six in 1998/99, 1995/96 and 1954/55.

King’s men won just one – on the opening day – in 10 league games but still recovered to comfortably finish 15th in Division Three. Davies’s side also won one in 10 and survived in 18th. Both bosses lasted the season and a show of patience paid off as Town avoided the drop.

One thing Askey has on his side is the backing of the Town board, who broke recent tradition of a one-year rolling contract for their managers, by handing him a three-year deal in the summer.

The board were clearly keen for Askey to build something and, with that, will support him.

It is often said that pressure from fans is telling and, despite typically vociferous frustration from social media, the following in the stands has been largely behind the boss and his players.

But playing decent, easy-on-the-eye football only gets you so far and Askey knows more than most that a cutting edge is desperately required.

A difficult trip to Portsmouth today carries little pressure on the face of it, with Pompey expected to win, but Town’s sluggish start means they need points from wherever possible.

Next Saturday’s visit of Southend to the Meadow is a more telling fixture for Askey, back in front of his home supporters.

A repeat of the outcome of McNeill and Hartford campaigns would be a disaster for Town.

They are still reeling from missing out on the Championship in extra-time of the play-off final and, as history shows, Askey should have time to turn things around.