Next Shrewsbury Town Manager Odds: Five candidates to replace Paul Hurst

EFL pundit Gab Sutton discusses what's next for Shrewsbury Town after Paul Hurst was dismissed this week.

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about Burton Albion and the direction they should go in, after Mark Robinson’s departure, and how important an appointment this is for them.

What might make relegation that bit more tolerable for the Brewers, however, is that under Nordic Football Group, they have a long-term vision for supporters to buy into, and there’s a strong feeling that the club is on the right track under new ownership – even if that’s yet to be reflected on the pitch.

NFG reportedly approached Shrewsbury Town with interest in buying the club, only to be, I understand, turned away by long-serving owner Roland Wycherley.

If that’s true, it does concern in terms of the future of the Shropshire club because, while it’s impossible to know everything about NFG, the overwhelming indication - based on their track record, their actions at the Pirelli, and the transparency with which they have communicated - is that they are good people to have running a football club.

In a rare Wycherley statement, following Paul Hurst’s sacking, the implication seemed to be that the owner is seeking investment, and not necessarily to sell.

Realistically, though, it’s difficult to entice the right people to simply invest in a football club, without some operational input.

Wycherley’s position seems to be that Shrewsbury need fresh investment, without too much change to the structure of the club – and that might be a mistake.

The 82-year-old is certainly correct that the Shrews need greater financial resources to continue to compete in League One, enjoying a decade-long stint at this level – but one that looks likely to come to an end this season.

There are structural question marks, too, after Director of Football, Micky Moore got the Matt Taylor appointment wrong last season, before taking more of a back-seat this term for the reappointment of Hurst.

In terms of recruitment, meanwhile, they’ve made 22 permanent senior signings in the last three seasons, and only got five or six of them right.

So, it may be simplistic to say that their struggles are purely financial, but it’s unclear whether Wycherley can recognize that bigger change is needed unless or until the club is struggling in the division below.

With that in mind, the Shrewsbury hot-seat is something of a poisoned chalice. So, who’s up to it? 

Dino Maamria

Dino Maamria is League One’s survival expert, having assisted Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to the great escape in 2020/21, before replacing the Dutchman and overseeing a dramatic turnaround to safety two years later.

Passionate, driven and authoritative, Maamria is proving himself an effective impact manager.

Brian Barry-Murphy

We’re not sure either party would fancy this move. Shrewsbury will feel they need a pragmatic manager who can get results with the personnel available, rather than an idealist keen to cultivate a style.

Conversely, Brian Barry-Murphy won’t want to risk his esteemed coaching reputation on a job where the structural foundations aren’t in place for the kind of project he’ll desire. 

Gareth Ainsworth

As one of the most successful EFL managers, in terms of results relative to budget, Gareth Ainsworth might feel he’s earned a bigger job than Shrewsbury - despite a poor stint at Championship level with QPR.

It’s been a year, though, since Wild Thing lost his job at Loftus Road, so it may be that the lure of getting back into management outweighs the instinct to hold out for something more glamorous.

It feels as if Ainsworth could’ve been successful in any line of work he took on because of his infectious charisma, excellent people skills, and beaming, relentless positivity - Shrewsbury might feel they could do with a drop of that, with positivity feeling in short supply.

Pete Wild

Pete Wild has exceeded expectations in each of his jobs in management thus far, achieving two Play-Off finishes in three National League seasons with low-budgeted Halifax, before guiding League Two strugglers Barrow to successive top-10 finishes.

Sure, there’s the question about how those two seasons had ended at Holker Street, with his sides running out of steam, but he does bring a certain energy to the clubs he manages that can allow them to get results against all expectations.

John Coleman

Shrewsbury are lucky that not one, but two, of the EFL’s most successful underdog managers of the millennium, are currently available for calls.

It’s become clear that John Coleman’s sacking by Accrington Stanley owner Andy Holt was one of the most unpopular and unsavoury dismissals in Football League history.

A perfectionist who sets high standards for his players, and approaches every game to win regardless of opposition, but is also realistic and pragmatic enough to know how to get results on limited resources – having done just that in four different decades of management – Coleman could be mustard for Shrewsbury.