It might be a beautiful game but football is also a cruel business. Had Shrewsbury Town defeated Rotherham at a sunny Wembley last weekend who knows, Paul Hurst might still be in charge at Montgomery Waters Meadow, extending an adventure that has seen him attain outright hero status in Shropshire; an adventure that would now continue into the Championship after taking on the reins when Salop were rock bottom of League One in October 2016.
On Meole Brace island, near the club’s small stadium, a street sign was erected earlier this year stating ‘Paul Hurst Way’ and yes it’s makeshift and made by an anonymous fan but even so it brings to mind Brian Clough Way and Sir Alex Ferguson Way. That’s how much the 43 year old has come to mean to the area after utterly transforming their football club and taking them to the very brink of playing just one division lower than Manchester United and Liverpool.
But Shrewsbury Town didn’t beat Rotherham last weekend in their Play-Off Final. They lost 2-1 and just days later their brilliant manager upped sticks and left for Ipswich Town. Ipswich of the Championship.
Football can be a cruel business indeed.
The Salop fan-base doesn’t really know how to feel at present. On the one hand they are understandably despondent at losing the most promising manager they’ve had for many a year; a manager with a rare gift for shrewd recruitment and a consistent talent for instilling togetherness that makes a side stronger than the sum of its parts. Perhaps there is anger bubbling beneath the surface too but if that’s so they are not showing it which is to their enormous credit.
Their despair however is balanced out by pragmatism. A rising star like Hurst was never going to stall his trajectory while optimism can be found in today’s appointment of former Macclesfield boss John Askey. More so when you’re a club like Shrewsbury this sadly is the nature of the beast. Ambition takes you so far then ambition leaves to be replaced by another guy with a keen hunger to prove himself.
And this certainly applies to Hurst. In a joint managerial role with Rob Scott the former Rotherham defender whipped Ilkeston Town into shape in 2009 and saw them promoted before leaving for Boston. A treble of trophies with the Pilgrims in his first year brought him to the attention of Grimsby and after five impressive years spent in the Conference at Blundell Park (the last three alone in the dug-out after Scott was sacked for gross misconduct) league status was eventually reclaimed. Just three months later Hurst moved up a division and joined struggling Shrewsbury.
This is no reflection on the highly rated coach who together with his assistant Chris Doig is now charged with reviving the East Anglian club that has grown stale under the six-year tenure of Mick McCarthy. His first order of business will be to bring watchable football back to Portman Road.
This itineracy is no reflection on Hurst because ambition is the norm in any manager and while elsewhere in the Championship this week Frank Lampard has been headhunted with no experience other than the talents he displayed on the pitch the Yorkshireman had reached this plateau through vastly improving every club he’s been at and in all but one example leaving them promoted. As splendid an ascent as it’s been it has also been an incremental one born of sheer hard graft.
As for Ipswich this most traditional of clubs has returned to the welcome and sensible ethos of investing in promise and the same maybe can be said of the Championship as a whole. At the risk of being a bit ‘yer da’ or Paul Merson it is greatly encouraging to see that 19 of the 24 clubs have British managers ready to go in 2018/19 and many of whom too are on the lower rungs of their career ladder. It will be fascinating to see how Hurst competes in such company. It will be even more fascinating to watch from afar as this master of the free transfer enjoys having a modicum of money to spend for the first time.
The safe bet is that he thrives; implementing his ideals from the off, bringing in personnel overlooked by others who will excel at this level, and don’t discount yet another promotion bid via the Play-Offs.
If the pattern of Paul Hurst’s journey so far continues and within a couple of years he departs Portman Road, leaving the fans heartbroken but in the top flight, my guess is they will take that.
Shrewsbury certainly would have, but Rotherham saw to that.
