Shrewsbury Town debrief: Consistent back six, Ainsworth's tweaks, four unbeaten, more points than Paul Hurst

At times last year, it felt like there was a resignment from Salop supporters. 

They knew their team was not good enough, and chances were they would struggle in matches - especially in League One. 

But Ainsworth has brought a level of competitiveness back to Shrewsbury, regardless of the opposition, they will have in chance of getting something from the game. 

That won't always happen, but defeat no longer feels like a foregone conclusion - at times this campaign, that has not been the case. 

Their latest result came in Lancashire as Shrewsbury picked up a late draw at Blackpool. Here are the talking points. 

Consistent back six

There have been plenty of changes to the Shrewsbury starting XI over the Christmas period - but what has remained consistent is the back six. 

Jamal Blackman has been in goal. Morgan Feeney, Josh Feeney and Aaron Pierre have been the centre-backs - while Luca Hoole and Mal Benning have played as wing-backs. That has been the same for the last three matches. 

In Blackpool, Shrewsbury looked well-drilled, organised and a side who knew how to stick together and defend. The hosts played in front of them for 45 minutes, and the first half became a non-event. 

Salop have conceded 43 times at the midway point of the season, but their resoluteness in their last three matches has shown they are capable, and it is what has seen them go unbeaten in four. 

Consistent personnel is only going to help that. 

Ainsworth's tweaks

It may have been a consistent back six for Shrewsbury, but the other five positions have changed dramatically. In the last three games alone, there have been 12 changes to the starting XI, all in midfield and forward areas.

The Christmas period is no doubt a hectic one, and rotation is important to keep everyone fresh, but it has not led to any drop-off in performance. 

The boss describes himself as a destroyer and a disrupter, and most of the changes, if I had to guess, are largely down to stopping the opposition from doing what they are good at. 

The Blackpool game felt like a masterclass to a certain degree. It was clear Shrewsbury were going to let the Tangerines have the ball, but they had pace on the flanks in Charles Sagoe Jr and Tom Bloxham. 

Improved record 

The boss is getting the most out of what he has at Shrewsbury. He has now taken nine points since he arrived at the end of November in just eight games. 

Previous head coach Paul Hurst only managed to get eight points from the first 15 games of the campaign. 

The evidence of the upturn is there. Let's just hope they are not too far behind. 

They are less open, and they are more functional, and in this league, when you have the budget Shrewsbury does, that is a necessity if you want to get results, and that is the business any football manager is in. 

Teams have better players than Shrewsbury, so they have to make it difficult for their opponents to beat them. 

They have done that of late and they have gone four matches unbeaten for the first time since time in the league in almost two years.