Salop social: Early Christmas gift from Shrewsbury Town

Chris Hudson

Christmas Eve might just be my favourite day of the year. I prefer it to Christmas Day itself, because of the anticipation and the excitement in the air.

This year, Shrewsbury Town fans have already unwrapped an early present, courtesy of Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Doncaster that lifted us out of the relegation zone and up to the giddy heights of 16th.

Suddenly, there is added anticipation as we look at the season still to come and wonder just how far Shrewsbury can go under Steve Cotterill.

What he has achieved already is truly remarkable.

I remember thinking ahead of the Charlton game that the next five fixtures were extremely daunting and that five points would be a decent return. I thought that if we were within a couple of wins of safety at New Year, we’d at least have some hope.

Instead (with one of the five games postponed) we’ve managed to pick up 10 points from a possible 12, winning three in a row – all away from home to automatic promotion contenders.

It sounds almost mad to be saying this, but the next target should be to push towards the top half. Such is the transformation we’ve seen, that it certainly seems possible.

Merry Christmas to all my fellow Town fans – and here’s to a fourth straight away win at Wigan on Boxing Day.

Steve Jones

Despite Steve Cotterill insisting 16th place is nothing to celebrate, for the first time in a long time the league table makes for good reading.

And it’s encouraging to hear he feels there’s more to come.

But, given Shrewsbury’s tendency to perform better against the division’s stronger teams – notwithstanding the clear improvements – you may argue the next game against Wigan is just as big a test.

Despite their ongoing administration issues, the Latics have shown they are capable of getting results and will surely take inspiration from their Boxing Day opponents, given where Town found themselves a few weeks ago.

It’ll also be the first time Shrewsbury have entered a match as favourites for a while. What can they do when the tables are turned?

One of the first things Steve Cotterill spoke of was his disappointment the team hadn’t taken more results from teams around them.

In nine matches against sides currently in the bottom half, they failed to beat eight of them – five draws, three defeats – and won just one, with Oxford and Wigan still to come.

It’s a problem that needs solving. Saturday is a great chance to do that and continue the progress.

Nathan Rowden

In order to be a successful football club, so much is about timing, and finding the right manager at the right time is vital.

We all know there are some very good managers who haven’t quite worked out at clubs, and it often comes down to timing.

Maybe it’s too big a job too early in a manager’s career, issues off the field, finances, a club’s culture at that moment, the list goes on.

I am very quickly coming to realise that Steve Cotterill is exactly the right man at the right time for Shrewsbury Town, not just for the club, but for him too.

After a break away from the game following his departure from Birmingham City, Steve has come into Salop refreshed, well studied and hungry. There’s a passion and a glint in his eye which has been quite infectious.

Managers don’t often take that time away from the game to take stock and educate themselves. We see all too often managers hopping straight into the next big shiny appointment – and I believe this can often be a mistake.

Already Shrewsbury are reaping the benefits of Steve’s career choices and are now the in-form team in League One, swiftly climbing out of the relegation zone and dispatching of sides at the top of the league with confidence.

The turnaround in performances has been nothing short of remarkable. I really believe Shrewsbury could start to go places under Cotterill. He has been warmly received by fans and players alike, and there once again is a sense of unity, optimism and enjoyment.