Hurst Calls for Increased Fight and Belief from Struggling Shrewsbury

Paul Hurst, who has recorded six wins and 21 defeats in 36 matches since his return as head coach in January, stated that his Shrewsbury Town squad, currently facing difficulties, must exhibit increased determination and confidence to overcome their challenging beginning to the League One campaign. The club’s 2-0 loss to Barnsley on Saturday marked their tenth defeat in 14 league fixtures, positioning them 23rd in the standings, with two more games played than bottom-placed Burton Albion. While recognizing the necessity for improvement in their current standing, Hurst indicated that certain elements are not within his team’s influence. He informed BBC Radio Shropshire: “We could’ve had more points and we’ve talked about the various reasons why [we haven’t] – whether that’s our own deficiencies or things out of our control.” He continued, stating, “I look at other teams, whether it’s in our division, or the one above, that are placed much better than us but are having real struggles and that can be life in football.” Hurst added, “Sometimes things don’t go as you want, or don’t make sense, and sometimes things are just really tough. The latter of those is where we’re at.” Shrewsbury’s loss was attributed to goals conceded moments before the interval and two minutes into the second half against the Tykes, who are contending for a top-six position. This result marked their third consecutive defeat and their seventh loss in the previous ten games. Hurst commented that his team was “second best for almost the whole game” and conveyed his disappointment at the absence of greater initiative from his players. “It’s about fight – that’s where I wanted to see more,” he stated. “Yes they’re a good team, and got in front, but even at 2-0, as daft as it sounds, if you can nick a goal it makes it a nervy end.” He concluded, “But it didn’t feel like we showed enough belief and understanding how to get closer.” Tommi O’Reilly has appeared seven times in League One for Shrewsbury Town, with four starts. Hurst additionally defended his choice to not deploy some of his more creative players as the team sought to recover in the match. Loaned players Tommi O’Reilly and Charles Sagoe Jr, on temporary transfers from Aston Villa and Arsenal respectively, were not brought into the game. Hurst explained that he considered it appropriate to keep the 20-year-olds off the field. He stated: “I didn’t think it was anything like a day to put them on. Neither was going to help us on set-plays and I just didn’t feel it was that type of game for them.” He elaborated, “If either of these players are the best on the training pitch every day, I’d find it harder to leave people out.” Hurst clarified, “It’s not just those two, and there’s nothing personal here, I’m picking a team that I think gives us the best chance of getting a result.” He acknowledged the team’s position at “the wrong end of the table” and noted, “It was a difficult place potentially for younger players to come and play their football.” “Ultimately, I see things throughout the week that some don’t witness and I’ve had this at various points in my managerial career when suddenly players that aren’t on the pitch get a hell of a lot better than the one that are on it and that’s not a good sign,” Hurst concluded.