Exclusive: Gareth Ainsworth the Right Man to Turn Shrewsbury Around

Joe Jacobson believes new boss Gareth Ainsworth is the perfect fit for Shrewsbury.

The struggling Shrews sit bottom of League One, six points from safety, after four defeats on the spin.

Former Wycombe Wanderers boss Ainsworth has been tasked with steering the sinking ship to safety after Paul Hurst’s sacking.

Ex-Shrews’ defender Jacobson, who spent nine years under Ainsworth at the Chairboys, told SportsBoom.com: “I think Gareth’s the right man to go in at Shrewsbury. It’s one I think just makes sense. A lot of times in football you see a manager go somewhere and it’s not the right match and think ‘I can’t see it working out’."

“But for the gaffer to go in, I still call him the gaffer, I just think the way he is as a manager and a person he’s exactly what Shrewsbury need right now and the situation they’re in."

“They’re not is such a perilous position that there’s not a light at the end of the tunnel. They’re only a couple of wins from being out of the relegation zone and suddenly you’re looking up."

“The way he galvanises groups and creates a unity of us against the world atmosphere around the place, it’s exactly what Shrewsbury need right now.”

AINSWORTH'S FORMULA IS KEY FOR SUCCESS

After retiring as a player, where he spent nine years at Wanderers, Ainsworth managed the club for another 11 years.

He famously kept the club in the Football League on the final day of the season with the great escape at Torquay in the 2012-13 campaign.

After that Ainsworth, who has signed an 18-month deal at Shrewsbury, brought stability and success to Wanderers — memorably leading them to the Championship for the first time in their history in 2020, and that blueprint for success is exactly why Jacobson believes the timing of his arrival in Shropshire is perfect.

“He doesn’t get the kudos that he deserves really,” added Jacobson.

“He’s tactically very astute and over the years at Wycombe he set us up in a really different way with tiny little tactical nuances he put in place for certain games."

“I think people see long hair, sheepskin boots and tight jeans and think he’s a certain way. But he’s a football man, he’s been in football 40-odd years and works as hard as anyone I’ve ever seen in football."

“He’ll be desperate to go in there and do well and he will do everything he can to turn it around."

NEEDS TIME TO BUILD

Jacobson insisted the importance of time is a luxury not often afforded to managers, but Ainsworth's track record proves he has the credentials to be a hit in Shropshire. 

“Most importantly, he wants time," said Jacobson. "That’s all any manager wants.  Shrewsbury’s usually been a decent club for that. I know this time round with Paul Hurst it wasn’t the case."

“Someone like Gareth he wants time to build. If he’s allowed to do that, he’s shown in the past that he can be a huge success."

“Just before I got to Wycombe was the toughest time. When he speaks about it he’s really honest about the fact if the club were able to they probably would have got rid of him the season before I was there."

“Everyone knows about the greats escape at Torquay. They survived on the last day of the season and thankfully they did or probably wouldn’t have gone there."

“From that point on, the atmosphere was incredible. The way the club had a way of doing things, it was never about spending loads of money and buying success. They did it the right way, they built a culture and built a club and an environment where players wanted to come and play for Wycombe and him rather than having a couple of options with clubs and weighing it up that way."

“They built this reputation where all around the country people knew what Wycombe were about and that was down to him and Richard Dobson his assistant as well.”