Shrewsbury v Southend preview: Town ‘ticking over’ as players get up to speed
Sam Ricketts admits he is happy for Town to continue ‘ticking over’ ahead of their return home but insists ‘the future is very bright’.
Shrewsbury have taken nine points from their first seven league games this season having drawn more (three) than wins or defeats (two each) so far.
Town play their first game at Montgomery Waters Meadow in more than three weeks tonight as they entertain winless and managerless visitors Southend, who picked up a first point of the season with a dramatic late 3-3 draw against Fleetwood on Saturday.
Ricketts’ side have yet to lose or concede on home soil in the league after a 1-0 victory and two 0-0 stalemates.
But the Town boss has since acquired more firepower to solve his side’s problems in front of goal and Callum Lang and Jason Cummings are in line for home debuts – though the latter’s could well be from the bench.
Ricketts still has other fitness concerns. Dave Edwards returned to training yesterday after missing the weekend’s trip to AFC Wimbledon with a recurrence of his ankle niggle, while Fejiri Okenabirhie (hamstring) is still absent. Louis Thompson and Romain Vincelot had slight setbacks and didn’t travel to London.
There was better news in the form of Ollie Norburn’s return. The skipper impressed in his 79 minutes, while Ro-Shaun Williams played the full game.
All those factors show ‘ticking over’ is probably a fair assessment of Town’s current plight. Though there will be emphasis on the home side going on the offensive against struggling visitors tonight, where fans will expect to see improved attacking intent and ruthlessness.
Ricketts said: “The future is very bright. At the minute I feel like we’re in pre-season in a way. It was Ollie Norburn’s first game back, players getting back from injuries and new signings in but not quite up and running.
“We’re doing it while playing competitive games. We’re ticking over, we’re doing OK, but we know there’s so much more to come once we integrate, get fully fit and hit a rhythm of playing in a team which is vastly new.
“we’re trying to get everyone up to speed collectively and individually.”
Ricketts does want home fans to enjoy what is on display at the Meadow and has no doubt that the entertainment factor will come.
“Ultimately you want to get results and if you’re given an option then you’d rather win every week at home,” he said.
“You want your supporters to enjoy coming to games. The ideas is to pick up as many points as we can as often and keep ticking over.
“We’ve been solid. One win and three clean sheets and two draws at home isn’t bad at all.
“We know we can improve and the big thing I’m saying is once the players are fully fit and fully ready we will only improve and get better the longer the season goes on.”
Former Aldershot boss Gary Waddock is in caretaker charge of the visiting Shrimpers. He is the bookies’ favourite to land the role at Roots Hall.
Predicted line-up: O'Leary; Williams, Ebanks-Landell, Pierre; Love, Laurent, Goss, Norburn, Giles; Udoh, Lang.
Subs: Murphy, Beckles, Edwards, Walker, Whalley, Morison, Cummings.
