Shrewsbury Town set to keep faith in defence for Walsall trip
Assistant manager John Filan has vowed Shrewsbury won’t ring the changes from Saturday’s error-strewn display as they hunt a first win at Walsall in 25 years.
Boss John Askey was disappointed with the manner of the two goals Salop conceded in throwing away a lead against Gillingham.
But No.2 Filan stressed that Town will not make knee-jerk reactions for tonight’s trip on the back of sluggish defending.
Town are searching for just a second League One victory of the season as they visit their nearest rivals tonight. Dean Keates’ Walsall are 12 places and 10 points better off in seventh.
Filan said: “I think football’s a fluid situation. Any player that plays a game and says ‘I didn’t make a mistake’ in a game is not telling the truth.
“If you’re going to chop and change people just because of individuals errors in one game then, for me, it’s not the way to go.
“If you believe in players then you believe in them to a point where you can see things that are problems. At the moment we’ve defended some good clean sheets.
“Players are working hard and that’s all we can ask.”
Town’s miserable recent record at Walsall has seen them not win at the Banks’s Stadium in 13 attempts, dating back to December 1993.
Shrewsbury have sold 550 tickets for the trip tomorrow evening and Filan says the atmosphere generated can prove a boost for the players.
He said: “You want to approach every game the same and give it the same importance.
“For me, night games should be a good atmosphere. Atmosphere does (translate on to the pitch), in any game. Some games die off atmosphere-wise and it can be hard on the players.
“But you can guarantee a decent atmosphere (tonight), that’s what players want, that’s why you’re involved in football.”
