Boss Paul Simpson continues to target striking reinforcements with the start of Shrewsbury Town’s League Two season just over a week away – and he’s also keen to bring midfielder Joss Labadie back to the club on loan from West Bromwich Albion.
Simpson’s search for a suitable replacement for Grant Holt, who has joined Norwich City in a big money deal, suffered a knockback when Dagenham striker Paul Benson rejected a switch to the Prostar Stadium earlier this week. But Simpson insisted he had plenty more targets in mind as he chases much needed new blood to provide Town with a greater goal threat.
“We’ve got a whole host of names that we’re interested in and we’re asking about,” he said. “I understand the frustrations and concerns of the supporters that there haven’t been any new signings over the last week or two.
“All I can say is it’s definitely not through a lack of trying as we’re desperately trying to get them in.”
On Benson’s decision to stay at Dagenham after Town put in a significant offer to try and replace Holt, Simpson said: “I know that people are concerned because we’ve lost Grant and now we have to get the players in that are going to help us and take us forward.
“We tried to get Benson. The chairman wants to get somebody in and improve the squad but we’re not going to do it as quickly as possible just to appease fans panicking. We’re going to do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Simpson, whose side play their last pre-season friendly at League One Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, has been linked with several strikers but revealed one of them, Blackpool’s Ben Burgess, is unavailable.
Simpson’s search for potential new signings is not only centred on strikers, the boss revealing: “I think we need to get a few (players) in to be honest. If you look at the squad we look a small squad height wise and numbers wise.
“If you go off last Saturday’s game against Leicester we had 16 players involved, one of them being a trialist (Craig Dobson) who we’ve let go. We’re hoping Chris Neal and Graham Coughlan may be available to train with the rest of the squad today (Thursday), Dave Hibbert had now joined in, and really that’s it.
“That includes four first year pros whom we signed up with the idea of trying to develop, but they’ve done so well over pre-season they’ve actually come into the reckoning a little bit more than we expected.”
Simpson also confirmed he was interested in bringing young midfielder Labadie in on loan again after he had to return to West Brom owing to injury in January after just one appearance in a Town shirt.
“Joss Labadie’s someone I’m interested in,” he said. “He’s a good footballer and we knew that last year. I had a shock when he turned up here with Albion last week because he looks as if he’s grown – he looks a real big lad.”
Simpson insisted Town’s pre-season preparations were on course: “I organised the pre-season with preparing for the Burton Albion game in mind,” he said. “I wanted to play against good opposition to make sure we were really pushed. Someone asked me why didn’t we play against whipping boys, but you don’t actually learn anything from games like that.
“Now unfortunately on Saturday we got punished really heavily in the first 45 minutes (by Leicester) and everybody decided to be negative.
“If you take the results out of it, the preparations going well. We just need to improve the squad and improve on the little mistakes we’re making, but this is the time to make them.
“I’m not getting screwed up about it and neither are the players.”
Town Talk – Page 77 of Shrewsbury Chronicle, July 30, 2009.