Football Season Review

Shrewsbury are coming from a season that they will ultimately view as a rather successful one, as they managed to stay up and also went further in the FA Cup than any other League One side before being eliminated in the round of 16 by Manchester United. Micky Mellon's men initially needed some time to find their feet and adapt to the requirements of the third tier, having only won promotion last summer, and their football gradually got better over time. However, just like Fleetwood, who finished narrowly above them, the Shrews made a real habit of dropping points from games in which they played rather well. It is safe to say that they probably would not have stayed up had it not been for their activity in the loan market, as Mellon managed to complete the signings of players such as Sullay Kaikai and Andy Mangan, who both chipped in with goals that their original forward line could not produce, while other loan players, such as Larnell Cole and Jack Grimmer, also played important roles in their survival. The Shrews had a fair bit of injury problems late in the season and Mellon often struggled to name a squad of 18 players during this period, but his side had accumulated enough points by March to stay up despite winning only once in their last eleven games. This run of results has caused concerns regarding the side's future to be raised, and Mellon held a late season meeting with the club's chairman in which it was decided that he will remain at the helm next season. However, the Shrews' board's patience with positive but fruitless displays seems to be wearing thin and Mellon will certainly find his work being under a huge magnifying glass in the early stages of the upcoming season.

Player of the Season: Sullay Kaikai