Shropshire Star

Comment: Shrewsbury Town’s decline under Sam Ricketts couldn’t be ignored any longer

Shrewsbury Town may be one of the more patient football clubs in the country, but they were simply left with no other choice than to relieve Sam Ricketts of his duties.

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Ricketts’ demeanour in an angry post-match interview at MK Dons on Tuesday night gave the impression of a boss at the end of his tether.

The Montgomery Waters Meadow club had also reached the limit of their patience.

The decision to sack Ricketts has felt like a long time coming. The numbers failed to add up for the beleaguered boss and were getting ever worse. His position had become untenable.

The toxicity among a frustrated fanbase – who were not able to watch their side in the flesh and let their true feelings be known – was getting more fierce with every match that passed. With fans set to return next Wednesday, it was unthinkable Ricketts could be there.

The numbers are damning and are a big part of the vitriol – three wins in 27 league games, and one win in 13 games this season, is an unacceptable return for the ex-Wrexham boss.

Supporters were concerned when they dared to peak at the League One table.

Tuesday night saw them drop to 23rd – only crisis club Wigan propping up the table – four points from safety having passed the quarter-point of the campaign.

Four points does not sound a lot, but for a side who have managed just one win in 13 and just nine points from the first 39 available, it is already an alarming gap to bridge. And it felt out of Ricketts’ reach.

It is thought that the club were aware for some time a change was needed. After a start to the season where Town had drawn a few, lost by the odd goal and finally got a crucial win at AFC Wimbledon, they fell apart and lost four on the spin – including a poor thrashing at Peterborough.

Players’ form had dropped badly. Individual errors were costing Ricketts more or less every game.

Dave Edwards, who will be feeling this announcement more than most, said it best – the players had been letting their manager down.

Watch Lewis Cox and Luke Hatfield discuss the sacking of Sam Ricketts here:

Calls for Ricketts’ head were rife well over a month ago.

Social media pages, online forums and radio phone-ins had become increasingly toxic as the record became worse.

Fans directed their rage at the manager and, eventually, at the people making decisions above.

Those from the outside looking in were wondering what was going on at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Supporters were growing increasingly outraged at Ricketts’ team selection, tactical decisions and, in particular, comments.

The Welshman always had time for us in the media – although some difficult interviews did become spiky towards the end.

But fans disliked a perceived lack of accountability as results consistently got away.

They were frustrated as Ricketts blamed misfortune – of that there has been some, but you can also make your own luck – while insisting his side were playing very well but not getting the rub of the green.

Three games on the spin they criminally sacrificed a lead, five in 13 league games. It was startlingly apparent they could not hold on to an advantage.

There is sad irony that, having made a conscientious move to make his team more expansive and entertaining with a change of shape and ethos over lockdown and pre-season, hapless defending has led to the unbearable pressure that cost Ricketts his job.

By the end, Town had become so easy to score against it was difficult to watch. They had starting scoring more goals, but the imbalance had swung the other way.

Ricketts’ Shrewsbury were built on a solid, compact backline. Ricketts’ ethos was safety first, be secure, keep a clean sheet, don’t concede more than one.

It brought some results – notably in the FA Cup where there were some brilliant memories in fourth-round runs and a 15th-placed finish was, historically at least, pretty good.

But fans, who barring 1,000 in September have not been in the Meadow since March, demanded a more exciting, attacking style.

In doing so, the side lost its identity, forgot what it had previously been good at and became trapped neither here nor there. The squad – big, unbalanced and patched up – lost its way.

Ricketts has paid the price, many will say far too late, but there is still time to save the season.

The squad, however, need a long look in the mirror.

Whoever comes in has a big job and real fight to lift them out of the League One mire and extend their six-season stay in the division.

Following on from the appointments of John Askey and Ricketts, the club cannot afford to make a wrong turn.

That could well send Shrewsbury back to League Two, undoing years of good work.

There is a real pressure on this appointment and not too much time to make it in.