Shrewsbury Viewpoint: We have plenty to avoid relegation
Our latest interview with a fan of our opponents finds a confident “Monthly” predicting a mid-table finish for Shrewsbury.
REP was interviewing Monthy from the ‘Blue and Amber’ messageboard:
About the fan
“I started following Shrewsbury at the age of eight, going to my first game – a 3-2 home defeat but I can’t remember who we played now! I now live away in Lincoln so I am still limited to the number of games I can go to…”
How do you expect your team to do this season?
By the end of the season I can see us finishing anywhere between 12th and 18th…
I think we will finish in mid-table. We haven’t got enough about us to challenge the play-offs but I do think we have plenty to avoid relegation. We will go through a few rough patches of form, as we have done recently, but by the end of the season I can see us finishing anywhere between 12th and 18th.
Who should we watch out for?
Liam Lawrence in the middle of midfield is our experienced campaigner. His football brain is miles ahead of many players at this level – sometimes to our disadvantage as the other players don’t see what he sees. On loan Sullay Kaikai has had a massive impact since joining from Crystal Palace and Larnell Cole looks handy, on loan from Fulham. Our keeper Jason Leutwiler is a good stopper too.
What are your thoughts on your manager?
Micky Mellon deserves a hell of a lot of praise for what he has done at this football club…
Micky Mellon deserves a hell of a lot of praise for what he has done at this football club. He joined at the start of last season with hardly any players, built a squad that won promotion and was within a whisker of winning the league. Our budget seemed to hamper him at the start of this season so a few of the signings were underwhelming and still trying to prove themselves but Mellon deserves patience. Selling our two star players, Connor Goldson and Ryan Woods, so close to deadline day didn’t help.
What are your thoughts on your board?
Not too much to say on this really. The chairman keeps himself to himself and our chief executive, who is usually the club’s mouthpiece, has gone quiet recently. Since Mellon came in, we have been more active in the community that is nice to see. Selling our two main players, while understandable, was deflating.
Which one Vale player would you take?
Tom Pope. He isn’t doing much at Bury, but I think he is a handful at this level and we do miss a striker of his type. Tyrone Barnett is good in the air but he doesn’t have the nasty edge that Pope possesses.
How do you expect Vale to do this season?
With limited knowledge of your squad, I would predict similar to the Shrews. Mid-table neither pushing the play-offs or flirting with relegation.
What is your team’s most memorable game with Vale?
Nobody had a clue what was going on and the tannoy was useless…
Recently, the abandoned game at our place. Nobody had a clue what was going on and the tannoy was useless. Thankfully and rightfully we won the re-arranged game.
A score prediction?
I think Shrewsbury, on the back of Saturday’s win over Bury, could nick this 2-1. Kaikai and Barnett to score for Shrewsbury.