Bernard McNally: Hopefully the new Shrewsbury formation is here to stay

You’ve got to get the shape that suits the players.

The good thing is these players, like Daniel Udoh and Callum Lang, will work their socks off. It gives Jason Cummings that freedom.

The fans will be happy. They’ll see what you’re trying to do and then it’s down to the players.

The formation switch is working well and players seem to understand it already.

The good thing is that, when needed, players can tuck in to a 4-5-1 to help defend.

But when we’re playing people that want to get forward, like Lang and Cummings, then we’ve got a little bit of pace and guile and cutting edge.

In the modern game a front three don’t always go wide, they can work inside and interchange which creates problems.

English defenders want people running in straight lines but in the modern game it doesn’t happen.

I’m delighted Sam went to that shape and we seem to be building from it.

At the end of the day it’s about scoring goals and winning games.

At times you might like a certain system but you do realise as you get more experienced that you need a shape that suits the players, rather than being stubborn and saying ‘this is the shape’ because if they’re not good enough for it we don’t have millions and millions to spend on replacements. It was such a huge must-win game for Sam and Town at Bristol Rovers.

I’m sure they were putting pressure on themselves. Sam’s a very conscientious person, he would heap pressure on himself.

He seems like the type of guy to get it off the players and keep it on himself and, to his credit, it was a tremendous result.

We needed a win after Tranmere. I was delighted for Udoh scoring the winner – he’s done very well up front in recent weeks.

It’s good to see a young lad put in such strong performances, helping his team up the pitch and players around him.

I’ve said before he just needs to add goals and that will give him a lot of confidence.

It will be great for Sam when Shaun Whalley and Conor McAleny return to fitness. Then we have players on the sidelines who can affect the game.

I think Sam is dead right about how these free midweeks without games will help us ahead of a tricky run of fixtures.

It’s good for players. If there are any niggles they don’t have to properly train until later in the week.

We do seem to perform better against the better sides – which is not the best thing, but might help.

The three points from Bristol Rovers will really help going into the Oxford visit. It breeds confidence.

It would be great to see if we could get two of the three forwards scoring in one game, that would really generate enthusiasm and belief into everybody.