Shrewsbury Town’s transfer window analysis: Plenty of new faces, but one concern

After last season’s struggles in front of goal, it was clear from the outset that Gavin Cowan’s rebuild needed to give Salop greater firepower. Yet with the summer window now closed, that remains the biggest question hanging over a squad which has otherwise undergone a major overhaul.

There is no doubt the quantity expected from the rebuild has been delivered, with 11 new signings through the door. While Cowan was still seeking further recruits, that feels a reasonable number.

But whether they have provided the quality Shrewsbury needed to improve significantly on last season’s testing campaign remains to be seen. On the evidence of the opening games - and what some of those new recruits have offered so far - perhaps not.

It is important, though, to remember Town’s financial capabilities. Salop were never going to be one of League Two’s big hitters, capable of transforming their squad through significant spending.

Instead, Cowan was tasked with unearthing potential gems - identifying potential and backing players hungry to prove themselves. In that respect, the recruitment has followed the expected approach.

The transfer-fee embargo was undoubtedly frustrating, but in reality it did not fundamentally alter Town’s plans. Were Shrewsbury in a position to spend significant fees on more players anyway? Probably not. The bulk of the fee-paying business they could do had already been completed before the restriction came into effect.

Isaac Fletcher, signed from relegated Barrow, was one of those brought in for a fee. Josh Davison arrived as a free agent having struggled for goals in recent seasons, while Joe Gbode had limited opportunities at Luton Town.

All three still have plenty to prove before they can be considered the answer to Town’s goalscoring problems.

And that leaves the nagging feeling that Shrewsbury are still lacking the experienced goalscorer Cowan had been seeking.

Arkell Jude-Boyd had been the most impressive of the new recruits for me before the Fleetwood drubbing. Jack Price brought the experience that was needed to balance a young squad, but injury has already disrupted his campaign. Frustrating.

The final additions were all loans, and of the five loanees recruited this summer, the word ‘raw’ springs to mind. The hope is that these youngsters can hit the ground running and relish the opportunity, but there is always a degree of uncertainty when relying on inexperienced loan players.

Town struck gold with Matt Cox and Iwan Morgan last season and tried, unsuccessfully, to bring the latter back. Now they will hope Kian McMahon-Brown can have a similar impact.

There is certainly reason for optimism from his background and profile, but judgement must be reserved until we see what he and his fellow loanees can produce in a Shrewsbury shirt.

Of the four players placed on the transfer list, two have since gone out on loan, another has had his contract mutually terminated, while the fourth remains at the club.

Perhaps that says something about the level of interest in those players and, more broadly, the recruitment that preceded Cowan’s rebuild.

It has not been an encouraging start, and none of the new recruits has yet truly sparked into life. But the window is closed, the squad is assembled and now the focus is firmly on the football.

Hopefully, they can soon show why Cowan brought them to Shrewsbury and why he has placed his faith in them. Now, they have to step up and perform.