Shrewsbury Town still have faith in the gameplan

Struggling Town head to high-flying Peterborough on Saturday with Ricketts keen to halt a damaging run of three straight league defeats.

The run of form, Town’s worst in the league for three-and-a-half years, has seen Shrewsbury slip into the bottom four in League One.

But the Shrews chief has said he is not concerned with the performance level of his team and maintains that players remain tuned in to the process.

“There is no problem with confidence because performance levels have been very good. Tuesday it was (about) endeavour.” Ricketts said.

“There is disappointment, yes, because we all want to get results.

“But confidence, no. We went to a hard place with real tricky conditions. They had the better of the first half we had the better of the second half. They scored and we didn’t.

“There is disappointment confidence-wise in not getting results but not in what we’re doing and how we’re playing, that’s very good.

“It probably adds to the frustration because we know how close we are and we haven’t had points we deserve before Tuesday.”

“Definitely so,” the manager added on his players believing in his demands. “There is no question there at all. One hundred per cent they understand and have felt how well we’ve played.”

Shrewsbury head to fourth-placed Peterborough on Saturday looking to reverse the run of form that has seen them drop to level on points with the division’s basement boys.

Ricketts has shared his frustration at Town’s paltry total of five goals for in eight league games, the lowest in League One.

The Town boss made changes to his side’s set-up and style throughout lockdown and pre-season to improve on the goals record from last season, which was the second-lowest before the lockdown.

Former Wrexham boss Ricketts hopes to have Jason Cummings back available for the trip to London Road on Saturday. The Scot missed Tuesday’s game at Fleetwood with illness. Goalkeeper Deyan Iliev, on loan from Arsenal to cover for fellow injured loan keeper Matija Sarkic, is himself set for a spell on the sidelines with injury.

Ricketts has asked supporters to stick with the team’s performances, despite poor results. He added: “You have to look beyond the results.

“I know, we want to win every game, but the performance level, certainly in the two home games was very, very good. We couldn’t ask any more from a performance level.

“It was just a case of the final bit, offsides going against. We’re in a run where we’ve had no luck go our way whatsoever.

“We want to get back to winning ways as quick as we can. But the endeavour and commitment from the players was second to none.

“We have to get ready to go again.”