Plymouth v Shrewsbury match preview
Josh Vela felt like he served a seven-month suspension after being sent off in the final match before lockdown.
The Shrewsbury Town midfield ace was making his fourth appearance for the club after signing in January when two first-half yellow cards against Oxford saw him dismissed, writes Lewis Cox.
Vela, a high-profile addition from Hibernian, did not know then it would be his last appearance for more than six months.
“It’s been very strange,” said the former Bolton midfielder, 26. “I played four games and then got sent off and then it was lockdown!
“Fans get to watch on iFollow so hopefully they can see the best of me in games coming up.
“It never should have been a sending off, by the way! We started with Middlesbrough and I had to miss that one, it was like a seven-month suspension. It was so frustrating.”
The Salford-born all-action midfielder is trying to make up for lost time this season having served his one-match suspension in the season curtain-raiser at Middlesbrough.
He has played in all three games since, helping create two goals in the midweek EFL Trophy win over Newcastle United’s under-21s and will be crucial in Shrews’ midfield down in Plymouth tomorrow.
Vela has been tipped by manager Sam Ricketts as a key facet in Town’s team this season. He caught the eye in some pre-season performances having taken the No.10 shirt, where there was emphasis on him getting in the box to add a goalscoring threat.
The midfielder notched 10 goals for Bolton as they won promotion from League One in 2016/17 and feels the pressure to add goals to his game.
“My target is to get goals, get in the box more and get on the end of things. I like to get on the ball deep, but if I can get up there and notch a couple of goals it’ll be nice,” he added.
“When I was in League One with Bolton I got 10. If I could get anywhere near that it’d be a good season for me.”
On his number swap from No.20 to No.10, Vela – who penned a three-year deal in January – added: “I’ve always fancied the No.10 shirt, I don’t know why. There’s a bit of pressure with it to get goals so I’ll have to notch a few.
“I’ll work as hard as I can to get in the box and get a few goals. I’ve never been No.10, the creative players get it, don’t they?”
Vela is already a couple of goals behind midfield colleague Scott High.
He added on his midfield partner: “Scotty High is taking all of the goals, I’ll have to try to get a couple to get level with him.
“He’s a very good player, technically good and works his socks off and is a good, quiet lad. I’ll be getting him to let me have a few goals.”
Options are thin on the ground in the middle of the park for boss Ricketts, who could have done without Brad Walker limping out of the midweek Trophy tie, joining Sean Goss (ribs) and Dave Edwards (ankle) in the treatment room.
Town were, however, boosted by the return of club captain Ollie Norburn at half-time. Norburn, a close friend of Vela’s, could start his first match since the home FA Cup tie against Liverpool in January tomorrow.
Plymouth, who won promotion having finished third in the fourth tier last term, have earned themselves a reputation of playing attractive football under highly-rated ex-Town hitman Ryan Lowe.
The Pilgrims are certainly never dull. They have been involved in three 3-2 scorelines from five games already this season. They drew 4-4 at AFC Wimbledon last weekend and opened their league campaign with an impressive 1-0 win over fancied outfit Blackpool.
