Salop Social: Shrewsbury fans optimistic for next season

Nathan Rowden

At Salop we have reasons for optimism.

We are under solid ownership and have a brilliant board. We have someone in Steve Cotterill who will go on to become a super manager at the Meadow. We will soon be welcomed home to stand on the terraces once again.

Despite feeling completely flat last week after the season ended, I have since already begun to feel a twinge of excitement.

I had very little to complain about when Shrewsbury announced the retained list with huge swathes of the squad departing.

It’s a shame of course that Dave Edwards will not get a farewell in front of the fans, and to see a few of the younger lads from the academy depart – but these were tough decisions that needed to be made, there’s no room for sentiment right now.

I can also see a couple of other lads under contract also being moved on if a deal can be struck.

This gives Cotterill and his coaching staff a chance to really put their footprint on the club for next season.

What is now required is a pretty major rebuild in the new manager’s image, and it started this week with the signing of left-back Luke Leahy from Bristol Rovers. Make no doubt about it, if we’ve signed him then Cotts wanted him, and that should be enough for us fans.

That is how I am going to approach this summer’s business. The manager needs to be given the chance to get who he wants and I have faith in his judgment, something which can’t have been said for the previous regime.

I look forward to what the summer and the new season holds, but for now, let’s start looking forward and dreaming about the journey our wonderful club might take us on.

See you in August!

Steven Jones

One of the best parts of being a football fan is the excitement of a new signing being unveiled at your club.

There’s going to be plenty of that this summer, but this one feels different from the almost-annual overhauls Shrewsbury supporters have been used to.

With the manager set to be backed to assemble a team capable of competing at the top end of the table, this could be the most exciting off season for some time.

Steve Cotterill has already demonstrated his eye for a player and Luke Leahy’s arrival looks like a solid start to him putting his stamp on the squad.

As for those leaving, everyone is replaceable at this level and we have previously lost better players.

Shrewsbury have also spent far too many summers playing the waiting game with out-of-contract players and their agents, with little or no power.

It’s refreshing to see some control return to their transfer plans.

The 2020/21 season was an exhausting rollercoaster, but we will soon be counting down the days until football is back.

Bring on 2021-22!

Chris Hudson

Steve Cotterill has certainly not let sentiment get in the way of his plans for Shrewsbury Town.

He has discarded a dozen players to make room for a summer rebuild. Some, like Ro-Shaun Williams or Sean Goss, may consider themselves unfortunate – and it’s hard not to feel a tinge of regret that a home-grown talent like Ryan Barnett has gone.

But sentiment rarely leads to success.

Town have been in this division for six consecutive seasons, now. We had that one incredible year, of course, when we finished third and missed out on promotion as a result of more Wembley heartache.

But other than that, the best we’ve managed is 15th. The harsh truth is that this current crop of players, mostly brought in over two-and-a-half years by Sam Ricketts, were not quite good enough.

I’m pleased that Dan Udoh has been given another chance – though it remains to be seen whether he will sign the deal he’s been offered. He needs to score more, of course, but I really believe there is a player there. So, it seems, does the manager.

But it’s the calibre of the players that check in over the next two months that will really determine our fate in the next year or two, rather than those like Udoh who are already in the building.

Luke Leahy is the first to arrive. I admit to being slightly underwhelmed by that, but only time will tell. I’m sure there are some more exciting additions to come.

See you next season for more fun and games on the Shrewsbury rollercoaster – if I make the Salop Social retained list!