By Ty Jenner
On Saturday, we make the trip Northwest to the Montgomery Waters Meadow home of the Dons’ next opponents Shrewsbury Town. In preparation for the match, we spoke to Shrewsbury Town fan Martin Wall of 2clubs1love on Twitter to ask some questions regarding the game. Many thanks for taking part!
1. Are you happy with Shrewsbury’s start to the season so far?
Yeah, fairly happy with how things are going results wise even if it’s not always exciting.
2. Now that the transfer window has closed, what are your thoughts on your club’s activity in the window?
Fairly happy with recruitment with some good Championship experience through the building also added with some good loan signings. Last year we only had 2 on loan already added 5.
3. Based on the start of the season, where do you think, Shrewsbury Town will finish come the end of the season?
I’m confident we can achieve top 12 but as seasons gone by have shown in this league a good start or bad start can sometimes be the opposite. But if we can add more goals to our game and add some quality in January, we are more than capable of top half.
4. It has been a bit of a mixed start for the Shrews, do you think fans are content with how they’ve started, or do you think they’re expecting better results?
Shrewsbury fans expectations have always been higher since achieving 3rd in 2018 but our style of football is a hard watch at times and fans can be 50/50 from week to week. Results wise we have picked up points where in previous seasons we wouldn’t so always a positive look on it and I would say majority of fans are content for now.
5. What style of play can the Dons expect from Shrewsbury on Saturday, a high press or tightly knit defence and hit on the break?
Certainly, won’t be a high press. We like to pass out from Pennington and Flanagan and look for runners on the counter whilst keeping tight and compact. What Shrewsbury lack in procession of ball they make up in hard graft and working for each other. Bayliss, we look to carry the ball through middle and make things happen.
6. What will be the expectations from the fans? A top 6 finish, mid table?
Hard to say as a lot of the younger generation would say playoffs but fans like myself around my age and older will know that mid table is progress from the last few seasons. On paper though our squad is good enough to make a play off push. Just comes down to depth and experience those squads tend to get over the finishing line.
7. Which Shrewsbury player/s should we watch out for on Saturday?
Luke Leahy will battle all day long and is deadly on set pieces. Marosi if fit will be hard to beat and watch out for Pennington who is a goal threat in the box with 2 goals and an assist already this season. Udoh may be injured but Saydee on loan from Bournemouth has 2 goals in 5 appearances and gets a shot away early so may look to catch a few keepers out this season.
8. The Dons have had a very laboured start to the season. Where do you think they will finish at the end of the season?
I always said that after losing Twine, Darling, Kasumu plus the talent of loan players from the Premier League added with play-off heart ache you would finish 8th. They’ve had a bad start but there’s always one or two teams who have a terrific second half of season. With your money to spend added with the fact the season is only 11 games old there is still plenty of life in the season yet so I will stick with my prediction. Can see you doing an Ipswich of last season.
9. Dons edge 6 wins over Shrewsbury compared to 3 wins for the home side over the Dons. Do you think that Shrewsbury will close that gap this weekend?
I’m confident we can as it’s our away form that we have struggled with against you but in the last 2 seasons we have beat you 4-2 and 1-0.
10. If you could have any current Dons player, who would it be?
Would have been Twine but he’s gone. Of your current crop I would say Scottish LWB Daniel Harvie is very comfortable in procession and a good crosser of the ball for a small lad not afraid to put himself about. As a Kilmarnock fan as well pains me to say he’s good as he’s an ex-Ayr Utd player.
11. Who or what made you support Shrewsbury Town?
I moved to the area when I was 10 and wasn’t attached to a team as my dad was in the RAF. I only really followed Premier League football and when I got into football Lincoln was my local team, but I soon moved to Shropshire. My school were giving out free tickets and I went to Hartlepool at home on a Tuesday night. We lost 1-0 to an 87th min penalty and Peter Beardsley was playing for them. It rained all night, we lost and there was a mere crowd of just over 3k. All of a sudden, I was hooked. 26 years later I’m still Shrewsbury daft. Although I moved to Kilmarnock in 2012 and I still get to games when I can. Funnily enough I was born in Ipswich but moved away at 2 so wasn’t around to be a tractor boy.
12. Which game/s are you most looking forward to this season?
Bristol Rovers at home…… If Joey Barton lasts that long. Ipswich away as a they are cracking bunch of fans and of course my hometown.
13. Thank you for participating, it really helps us understand our opponents and what to expect from them. Finally, what do you think the score will be?
Got to be a Shrewsbury win sorry folks. 1-0 with a goal from Pennington.
