League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town will attempt to convince former Lincoln City and Charlton Athletic boss Michael Appleton to take over as their new boss after losing Gareth Ainsworth to Gillingham.
Shrewsbury were rocked by the sudden departure of Gareth Ainsworth earlier this week after League Two side Gillingham met the release clause in his contract.
The club are currently bottom of League One and looking set to drop into League Two next season and are reportedly looking for a short term option with the rapid nature of the former Wycombe Wanderers man’s departure.
They have been linked to several names including Dino Maamria and surprisingly Rob Edwards by the BBC, however, according to Alan Nixon it is Michael Appleton that could lead in the the race.
The former Lincoln boss has been out of work since departing Charlton Athletic last season, although he was briefly linked with a job at Premier League giants Manchester United in their loans department when Dan Ashworth was part of the club.
Appleton could, reportedly, be interested in the chance to get back in the dugout after an extended period away.
Appleton a Surprise Shrewsbury Town Manager Candidate
Michael Appleton has an extensive CV including working at Leicester City, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Oxford United, Lincoln City and Charlton and has seen mixed results over his career. He oversaw great success with The U’s but struggled to get to grips with Blackpool following their relegation.
He isn’t known as a “relegation” manager and expects his side to perform in a very particular style of football that includes passing out from the back and shorter possession based passing style, which does seem to clash with what Gareth Ainsworth had instilled in his Salop side.
However, if the board are looking for a departure, Appleton is certainly that and given a summer to get in players capable of playing his style and the opportunity to tap into his network of contacts they could start next season in a good position.