Where Did It Go Wrong For Shrewsbury Town?

Shrewsbury’s 2024/25 campaign has been nothing short of a disappointment. A season that began with hope and cautious optimism has ended in frustration and negativity with the club now relegated after a decade in League One. The club now faces the inevitable question, where did it all go wrong?

A Misleading Opening

When the season kicked off, there were genuine reasons to believe this could be a year of progress. A handful of decent signings in the summer had bolstered the squad, and fans were hopeful that with this new stability, Shrewsbury might push up the League One table, or at the very least, avoid yet another relegation battle. However, football isn’t quite so simple. An early string of poor results hinted at deeper issues, and by the time the calendar flipped to the new year, the optimism had vanished.

Results elsewhere confirm our relegation, and our decade-long stay in League One comes to an end.

🔷🔶 #Salop pic.twitter.com/Si24OXWmbN

— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsburytown) April 18, 2025

Managerial Mishaps

When things took a turn for the worst, the spotlight inevitably turned to the dugout. The team's tactics often seemed reactive rather than proactive, and there's been little evidence of a clear game plan. While injuries and budget constraints have played a role, the lack of cohesion on the pitch points to deeper issues. Going through 3 different managers this season, Shrewsbury have had no real stability or security all season and this will have fed massively into what was ultimately their demise.

Injuries And Depth Problems

Injuries also played a role in the team's downfall. Several key players spent significant time on the sidelines, and the squad depth, which was already thin, couldn’t cope with the demands of a long season. In the end, makeshift lineups and patchwork defenses became the norm. While injuries can be an excuse, good teams can adapt and Shrewsbury unfortunately, did not.

Disconnect with Fans

Perhaps most worryingly for the club, there seems to be a growing disconnect between the club and its supporters. Frustration has been mounting and not just with results, but with the lack of communication and transparency from the boardroom. Supporters want to believe in a plan, even during tough times, but when that vision is unclear, patience wears thin and fans become frustrated with the board, this has previously led to protests when it has happened at other clubs.

So, What Next?

Shrewsbury Town is now at a crossroads. The first step is acknowledging what went wrong, not just in terms of results, but in planning and leadership. Do the club back the current manager? Do they overhaul the squad? Or do they stick with both and hope that this was just a minor setback and plan to return to League One next season?

One thing is clear though, change has to happen next season if the club wishes to see any kind of success in what might be the most competitive League Two roster we’ll see for a long while with the current promotion race being extremely tight between some of the divisions biggest and most experienced sides.