Shropshire Star

Comment: John Askey – A Shrewsbury Town tenure that never got off the ground

It just never clicked for John Askey at Shrewsbury Town.

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And after just four league wins in 17 games, which left the Montgomery Waters Meadow club 18th in League One, the pressure simply became too much for things to continue.

He signed a three-year deal after finally calling time on 34 years at Macclesfield and took the chance to move clubs at senior level for the first time. The new era lasted barely five months.

It was never going to be easy. Even more so given the role he stepped into after what had gone before him.

But Askey’s tenure scarcely got off the ground. Aside from a couple of eye-catching home results, Town were nowhere near the results and level of performance required. The away form spoke volumes. Askey’s only win on the road was his last effort in the league.

Pressure was unquestionably building. A section of supporters had been upset for a while, for numerous reasons, and frustration boiled over against Salford on Sunday, with furious chants hurled in Askey’s direction.

For a largely tolerant fanbase, it had turned nasty and become untenable.

A tough summer was even more taxing than Askey probably feared when he walked through the door on June 1.

Shocked reactions emerged from Montgomery Waters Meadow as news broke Askey had penned a three-year deal.

Clearly the target was a rebuild – to give the new man time to implement himself on the club, on the pitch, off the pitch, in the stands, in the town.

That Askey lasted just 165 days in the hotseat is telling.

Shrewsbury are a patient club and they gave their manager every chance. Chief executive Brian Caldwell often spoke about patience, a new era, a huge turnover and transition.

In recent weeks the stance from the club became public. Askey had two votes of confidence, one after a ‘win or bust’ effort at AFC Wimbledon, and the other after a story released in The Sun last Wednesday, which claimed the club wanted to sack their manager but could not strike a deal.

The strong nature of Caldwell’s backing gave the impression the manager would be offered more time, but Askey was on thin ice after discussions before the Wimbledon clash.

In the end, inconsistency bit. Caldwell referenced as much yesterday. They failed to build to the required standard and, when they looked decent, they couldn’t repeat it.

Caldwell and chairman Roland Wycherley took an ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to his appointment. They followed the Paul Hurst blueprint.

On paper it was a perfect move. Askey managed heroics at Macclesfield, winning the National League on a shoestring budget with lots of noise in the background. But at Moss Rose, ‘Sir John’ was a legend.

At Shrewsbury he quickly had to show Town fans he was up for it. To prove himself.

It doesn’t feel like that ever happened.

Early signs were that Askey offered freedom for players to express themselves. That was encouraging in itself but Town shipped goals in pre-season and early on.

Askey was dealt a tough hand. Last season’s heroes were departing left, right and centre.

Hurst poured salt into still fresh Shrewsbury wounds by poaching stars Jon Nolan and Toto Nsiala barely days before the League One campaign started.

No fewer than 16 players were signed by Askey. That is a massive number, no matter how many depart.

Suggestions that outward-bound players made Sundorne life harder than it should have been for the new management were hardly ideal.

The squad felt, and still feels, bloated and a little alienated – certainly it feels unfamiliar.

A nod to the opening-day line-up against Bradford – a defeat – says a lot. Doug Loft – surely one of the more questionable signings of this or any Salop year – Kieran Kennedy, Charlie Colkett and even Stefan Payne (who would leave days later) all started.

The first three of those have barely been seen since.

Supporters turned quickly, be it because of results – Town started with three defeats from three – questionable team selection and tactics, or a lack of connection between the dugout and the stands.

It was probably all three. Dropping captain Mat Sadler (twice), not using Greg Docherty or Fejiri Okenabirhie and playing players out of positions all became sticks to beat the manager with.

It is unjust and unfair to compare managers, but while Hurst knew how to appease the Town fans and work the press, Askey struggled.

‘Clapgate’ became an issue. Fans wanted more charm. Askey regularly bigged them up in the press, but it wasn’t washing.

No manager deserves to not be given a chance because of his form in press conferences, but fans were unenthused by their leader. The soundbites were sadly lacklustre.

Askey is a pleasant man and always had time for us, but he required more oomph. Despite his snap at the media in the final interview, after Sunday, we had a good relationship and I thank him for being honest and open.

Speaking of contrasts with the former management, it is believed training was slower, less disciplined, with organisation harder to come by and little correlations with the work-rate that took Salop to the play-off final last season.

There were false dawns, a few of them. The chief example being the superb win over Barnsley followed by a dour, abysmal loss at Oxford.

When Askey came in, he was determined to build on the goodwill from last season’s stunning memories. That quickly fizzled out. The poor form even made the momentous, ground-breaking safe-standing introduction take a back seat.

At Macclesfield, Askey knew how to win football matches. It didn’t translate into League One and that is what ultimately cost him his job.