Ainsworth Stresses Consistency for Shrewsbury Beyond Single Victory

Shrewsbury Town’s new manager, Gareth Ainsworth, and Blackpool’s Steve Bruce are set to face each other at Oteley Road on Wednesday night. This encounter marks their first meeting since their playing careers, when Ainsworth scored Port Vale’s goal against Trevor Francis’s Birmingham City in a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s in April 1998. Regarding managerial experience, the 63-year-old Bruce holds an advantage over the 51-year-old Ainsworth. Bruce has overseen 1,052 matches across 12 different clubs, while the Shrewsbury boss has managed 590 games, with Bruce also having secured four promotions compared to Ainsworth’s two. However, both teams’ most recent opponents were Birmingham City. While Ainsworth is still privately celebrating Shrewsbury’s 3-2 victory over the League One promotion favourites, achieved 10 days ago in his inaugural match as manager, he recognizes that Bruce will likely be feeling the sting of his team’s FA Cup defeat to his former club on Sunday. “Steve Bruce was one of the great centre-halves this country has ever seen – I was lucky enough to play against him, and he’s a winner,” Ainsworth stated to BBC Radio Shropshire. “You don’t play for Manchester United and win all he did without being a winner.” Ainsworth added, “He’ll be trying to drum into his players that they need to react. What I’ve got to tell my boys is to be ready for that reaction.” Shrewsbury enters the match trailing Bruce’s Blackpool by seven positions and nine points. Furthermore, they remain five points away from safety, having secured only three victories in 16 League One fixtures this season. Despite their strong start against Birmingham, Ainsworth aims to ensure his players remain grounded and fully comprehend the significant task ahead if they are to preserve their third-tier football status in Shropshire for an eleventh consecutive season. “One game doesn’t make a season,” Ainsworth commented. He continued, “No way you sit back and think we’ve cracked it now. We need a big follow-up from that fantastic performance.” He also stated, “I’m sure I’ll also see them when they struggle – and we’ll learn more at those moments. But now I’ve seen this team at their best I want them to back that up.” Ainsworth’s tenure at Wycombe provides him with insight into the demanding nature of a long campaign. After initially assuming the role of caretaker manager at Adams Park in September 2012 and guiding the team to a 15th-place finish in League Two, Ainsworth’s Wycombe secured their Football League status in his first full season (2013-14) only through a 3-0 final-day victory against already-relegated Torquay United at Plainmoor, coupled with nearest rivals Bristol Rovers’ home defeat to Mansfield. It was not until 2018 that they achieved the first of their two promotions in three seasons, which included a spell in the Championship. Shrewsbury itself famously maintained a second-tier presence for 10 seasons, from 1979 to 1989, following promotion under Graham Turner. The club came close to regaining that level in 2018, when they were defeated in the League One play-off final at Wembley under Paul Hurst, Ainsworth’s predecessor, during his notably more successful initial period at the helm. Currently, Ainsworth is concentrating on a gradual approach, aiming to build upon the team’s impressive initial performance. “I’m this person who really believes in consistency,” he stated. “The boys want to belong somewhere. And they need to know what that something is before they belong.” He further emphasized, “But we have to go into every game believing we can win. I said that before the Birmingham game, I’m saying it again before the Blackpool game and I’ll say it again every game this season. I’ve just got to get the boys to believe that too.” Gareth Ainsworth’s comments were made to BBC Radio Shropshire sports editor Nick Southall.