Stevenage vs Shrewsbury - Match preview

Salop are about to embark on their 10th successive season in League One and that begins with a trip to Stevenage tomorrow evening.

Eight senior first-team players were released from their contracts at the Croud Meadow at the end of last season, while Marko Marosi, Chey Dunkley and Dan Udoh all turned down the opportunity to stay in Shropshire.

With time still left in the transfer window, 11 players have come through the door at this stage, with more additions expected before the transfer window slams shut as the rebuild nears its conclusion.

In pre-season, the signs have been generally positive. There has been a conscious effort to play more attacking football, and some of the signings Hurst has brought in have already caught the eye.

Ultimately though, that all counts for nothing. The most positive of signs in friendly games will not mean anything to the Shrewsbury faithful if they have a sluggish start to the campaign.

Positive signs are one thing, but we will get our first look at how this new-look squad copes with the physicality of League One football.

The pressure ramps up and Hurst will need to make sure his players are ready for the long road ahead, with 46 league games coming up between now and May.

You would expect the starting XI to be similar to last weekend’s final friendly – a game which ended in a 1-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic.

Town were not quite at their best that day, but most of the players were just trying to come through it unscathed.

They will have been fully aware they have bigger fish to fry over the coming weeks.

It is difficult to know what to expect from any opposition on the first day of the season, but even more so with this Stevenage side.

They finished ninth last campaign, a good effort considering they had just achieved promotion from League Two.

But their manager Steve Evans, who brought a great deal of success, left at the end of last campaign.

The Lamex Stadium was a horrible place to visit under him, they were a physical side and they were incredibly well-drilled.

But how they will shape up now he has left is anyone’s guess.

Alex Revell is now the manager, he has been in charge of Stevenage once before, which did not end well for him.

But he has spent time working under Evans, and Stevenage still have a competitive squad.

They did the double over Town last year with two very challenging games to watch. Jamie Reid scored a late winner at the Croud Meadow and had a hugely successful season from a personal perspective getting 22 goals across all competitions – but he misses out through injury.