Shrewsbury Town defender reveals why things ‘feel different’ under Gavin Cowan

Defender Sam Stubbs admitted Shrewsbury Town previously “lacked clarity and direction” before Gavin Cowan’s arrival at the club.

When Cowan took charge in late January, he wiped the slate clean at Salop and handed Stubbs - who had been frozen out and out of favour - a route back into the side.

The defender returned for Cowan’s first game in charge against Barnet before injury problems interrupted his progress. However, the 27-year-old went on to make a further nine appearances before the end of the season, playing a key role in Town’s revival and scoring the winner against Tranmere Rovers.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star during the final weeks of the campaign, Stubbs opened up on life under Cowan so far.

Asked whether he felt things were moving in the right direction, the defender said: “It certainly feels different.

“It's hard to answer that question - you don't know. But it certainly feels different, certainly individually.

“Collectively we probably lacked a bit of clarity and direction. I think that was probably clear in the way we played, and the results certainly reflected that.

“The manager's come in, and there is a sense of ‘this is the goal and this is how we're going to get there’.

“The gaffer speaks a lot about the process, and I think it's so important to have a goal and to be clear on the goal.

“But also, it's not just the goal and we're going to get there, it's how we're going to get there.”

Stubbs’ goal at the Croud Meadow against Tranmere moved Town a giant step closer to securing safety, which they sealed in the following home game against Oldham Athletic.

It marked the defender’s second goal in the space of a month - and his only two of the season - after a dramatic winner at Chesterfield in March.

The 27-year-old had previously been left out by former boss Michael Appleton in mid-December over what was described as a disciplinary issue. Stubbs did not feature during Appleton’s final eight games in charge.

The defender admitted he was relishing being back on the pitch and helping the team.

“From a personal point of view, obviously playing, it's a lot better,” Stubbs continued.

“But I think the club and the fans should take reassurance in the fact that we do have a process, and if it works, and when it has worked, and we have followed it on a matchday, we've won, or we've come very close to winning.

“I think when we haven't done that, that's been the times when we maybe haven't got the result we wanted.

“If I was a fan, I'd be reassured and happy, whether you agree with the process or not that there is a process.”