Bernard McNally: No better time for Shrewsbury Town to turn on the style

It would be nice to see us get our noses in front and get a couple of goals. That’s what the supporters want.

It’s about as close to a local derby as we can get this season. With the Sky Blues fans having sold out the away end, it should be an exciting one.

We are at home and we need a performance and the right result, even if it is just a draw with lots of action and entertainment.

We know we can defend and we proved it again at a very good Oxford side. It’s always a good point away.

We started very well at Oxford and it is worth remembering that no team can sustain a performance for 90 minutes – not Liverpool, Man City or Leicester. There is always a period where the opposition come into it.

You just wanted Town to get over the line, capitalise on their start and show some flair to break through.

But we weren’t made to pay because our defence kept us in it. Look at Marco Silva at Everton and that Leicester game. He thought he’d get a point after 95 minutes but football can be such a cruel game. Thankfully that didn’t happen to us at the Kassam!

Fingers crossed all guns are firing and we can come out with three points on Saturday. To have Shaun Whalley and Louis Thompson back, even if from the bench, will add some flair.

There are players who can score goals in this team and our home record has been good, we’ve beaten some of the top sides.

Three points would keep us in to the top half and would be a big boost.

But I still firmly believe we’ve turned a corner. I think the players are gelling together under Sam.

Sometimes you have to come back to the word ‘patience’ on behalf of fans. It’s difficult because all fans want something instantly, but I see signs of us moving forward in the right direction.

When I played in the eighties in the second tier we knew at times we would have to defend but we did have a couple of seasons where we finished higher.

It was basically Championship football and we had a solid base. For a couple of years we had Ross MacLaren who would sweep in front of Colin Griffin and Nigel Pearson, two strong, strong central defenders.

Ross was great. Our full-backs were strong and could get forward, particularly Wayne Williams down the right.

We were compact in midfield and made it difficult for teams but were fortunate because we had Gary Stevens and Colin Robinson up front who scored goals, which makes all the difference.

Nigel is back in the Premier League with Watford and I’m very pleased for him. He was very unlucky at Leicester because he instigated that side’s transformation.

Watford needed somebody who knows the game and the league. Nige is certainly that. This is his chance to prove his worth again.

I wish him all the very best.