Salop Social: We owe Steve Cotterill

Read their views as Town can relax with seven games left this season.

Chris Hudson

Let’s be honest, this season feels all but over for a Shrewsbury fan – and probably not a moment too soon.

Yes, yes, I know – there are contracts to play for, chances to impress the manager. All that matters, of course it does.

But there’s nothing like watching matches at the business end of the season with promotion or relegation at stake.

For Town, that jeopardy just isn’t there.

We’re not going up and we’re not going down. It could result in a few flat games between now and the trip to Crewe on the 9 May – though hopefully not too many more drubbings like the 4-1 that Oxford dished out to us on Tuesday.

It’s been a year to forget for many reasons; not least that fans have been locked out of grounds for pretty much the whole thing, and that our talisman boss has been laid low by covid for months.

If not for Steve Cotterill though, I’m convinced our season would be over for very different reasons now. We were tumbling head-first into League Two before he arrived, and I’m sure we’d have been as good as down by this stage.

So let’s not grumble about the odd poor result but instead reflect on how far we’ve come, and how far we could still go under this manager when he’s back in person and able to recruit his own squad.

This season may be petering out, but I’m already excited for the next one.

Steve Jones

Shrewsbury have spoken of their ambitions to achieve something at the top end of the table next season – and on Tuesday Oxford showed them the standard that’s required.

Town looked good in parts but clearly let themselves down at times.

The reverse fixture in two weeks will be a good chance to see if they can right some of those wrongs and take points off one of their most impressive opponents in this never-ending season, who also boast one of the bigger budgets in League One.

The scoreline – perhaps slightly harsh – was Town’s biggest defeat under Steve Cotterill along with the loss against Lincoln in the Papa John’s Trophy in December, but it was a second string that night.

It’s been a long, long season and thankfully there’s less than one month left. Town need May 9. It feels like they are just ticking over without Cotterill there in person, despite his best efforts remotely and those of his staff.

It feels like Shrewsbury will not be able to really move forward until he is back.

Nathan Rowden

The end of season boredom has very much set in at the Rowden household.

My wife has zero interest anyway, so nothing has changed in that respect, but now I’m not at games it’s worse than ever for me, and I’m starting to see her viewpoint a little bit.

Town are thankfully pretty much safe, but what that does mean is there is very little to play for between now and the end of the season, apart from a few players possibly trying to impress for new contracts.

I have found myself getting more distracted during games with a lack of jeopardy. I worked out I’d missed almost 15 minutes in one half this week scrolling through social media while the game was on.

I’m delighted Shrewsbury are safe (albeit not mathematically of course), and I’m delighted we can now start looking forward to the new season. However, sitting at home and watching iFollow really isn’t getting me very excited at all. I even shunned watching the two games live over Easter.

The end of season malaise is usually balanced by the fact you are at least able to go to the games and enjoy a few beers, some good company and football in the spring sun. But this season, with everything that has gone on, I just find myself forcibly limping to the end of the season and waiting for it to be over.

It’s just not football. But there is hope.

I’m keeping the belief that we can get fans back in the ground in time for pre-season and start to get that excitement back as Steve Cotterill assembles a side for an assault on League One over the summer.