Where can Shrewsbury Town's new-look coaching team target three points?

It is currently the final international break of 2024. Town have some winnable fixtures coming up in the next couple of months, and Shrewsbury reporter Ollie Westbury has picked a few out.

Shrewsbury v Blackpool

Salop welcome the Tangerines to the Croud Meadow on the first week in December on a Tuesday night, and it will be the new boss's first winnable game in the Shrewsbury dugout. 

Whoever will be the new Salop gaffer will most likely have their first competitive game against Birmingham City after the current international break. 

But given Town's form and the way Chris Davies' Blues side have started life in League One, they will do well to get anything from this clash - it is basically a free-hit. 

So that means Shrews' first winnable game will come with the visit of Blackpool. 

Steve Bruce's side have been in awful form, they are winless in six, having lost four of those matches, and that looks like an opportunity to pick up some points.  

Cambridge United v Shrewsbury 

Town The week after they make the trip to Abbey Stadium to take on Gary Monk's U's. 

Their form has almost been as bad as Town's - and they sit just two points above Shrews in the league. 

That is largely down to a run of results which saw them pick up three consecutive wins in October. They beat Wigan 2-0 before travelling to Stevenage, where they got another vital 2-0 victory. 

Monk's side then did what Shrewsbury could do - beat Burton Albion - that was courtesy of Jordan Cousins' goal six minutes from time. 

Cambridge's form might have picked up of late, but if Town want to stay up this season, this is a game they need to look at. 

Wigan v Shrewsbury  

Town's form over the festive period last year was miserable. 

They lost all three games around Christmas before managing to get a 3-1 victory at home to Fleetwood on New Year's Day. 

Wigan are another side in rotten form at present. Shaun Maloney's side have won just one of their last nine League One matches, and they find themselves in 19th position in the table. 

Town lost 2-0 there last year after Chey Dunkley's early red card, but this will be a really important game. 

Town have not managed to get results against teams in the top half of the third tier of English football, so it is imperative the new head coach picks up wins against those sides in the relegation battle with them. 

Shrewsbury v Northampton

There is no getting away from the fact that 2024 has been a miserable year for Salop.

To this point, they have managed to pick up just three wins at home in the calendar year. 

The final match sees them welcome Northampton to Shropshire. The Cobblers will want to avoid being drawn into the relegation battle, but at the moment they have taken just 16 points from the 14 games they have played. 

They have found a way to win four games which is more than Shrews, but they are much harder to beat, having lost just six matches. 

This is another game Salop's new-look coaching team can target for three points.