Jamie Haynes speaks to BBC Radio Shropshire

Jamie Haynes spoke to BBC Radio Shropshire on Monday night about his start to life at Shrewsbury Town alongside Gavin Cowan and Dave Edwards. 

Our assistant head coach appeared on their sports hour alongside Mary-Kate Wheeldon and Jamie Tolley. 

Chatting to BBC Radio Shropshire, Jamie said: 

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet with the way in which it happened so quickly and with the back-to-back games Saturday-Tuesday. 

“Although that has been good and I have enjoyed it.

“It has just been very hands-on, trying to turn it around and it has been a fairly good start.”

Jamie spoke on how the move happened saying:

“I have worked with Gavin for a long time now, both in business and in football and I trust him implicitly.

“I sort of left it to him and be his right-hand man because I know he has my best interests in his heart as well as his.

“It was a no-brainer to get the opportunity, being someone who is from Shrewsbury and giving back to the football club is a great feeling and something I am very proud to do.”

When Gavin and Jamie took over in January this year, Town sat 22nd in League Two.

Since then, we’ve won five games in a row and climbed up to 17th.

Jamie said:

“There is pressure at any level in football, especially with the magnitude of coming into your local football club, which only adds to that.

“Having been in and around the club and living in the town, you just know how much it means to the people.

“We have made a big effort in making the players realise just what it means to the fans when they play.

“They have a huge responsibility when they put on the badge to everyone at the football club, and the fans are a massive part of that.

“We really have tried to drive the message of how important it is to the people of the town. They want to see the players play for the badge and I think we have definitely seen that since we have come in.”

Jamie was then asked how the coaching staff have managed to bring a feel-good factor into the squad. 

“Understandably, there was a severe lack of confidence,” said Jamie.

“One thing we have tried to do is bring an energy. Obviously, with the experience of Dave Edwards, having him as part of the team has been massive for us to really be that link between what the gaffer is trying to get across to them.

“For Dave to really enforce that, and with his experience of being a Premier League footballer and playing at every level of football, to have someone like him in the team has been really important.

“He has really helped drive that message home, and being a local lad as well, the lads have really respected his input.”

Jamie was asked about the dynamic between himself and Gavin:

“Gav is very good at what he does.

“In terms of the training ground, he likes to be hands-on and likes to be the first one in and the last one to leave.

“We have a really good balance and that comes when you work with someone for so long and Dave being brought into that has really complemented what we do.”

With just eleven games left to be played, Jamie was asked about our aims from now until the end of the season.

“I know it’s a bit cliché, but it is important to take every game as it comes,” said Jamie.

“One thing I have learnt is not to get too carried away when things are going well and not to get too low when things aren’t.

“Fortunately, at the moment things are going well. Yes, the result on Saturday was a disappointment, the 2-1 defeat to Walsall, but performance-wise it was a close game, and it could have swung either way.

“It was another game in which we weren’t carved open by the opposition. It was two set pieces, which is disappointing, but I think there was enough in that performance to get something from the game.

“Moving forward, we are looking ahead to Chesterfield away, and our full focus is on that and getting three points.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. The job’s not done yet. There is a gap appearing, which is brilliant, but it is important that we don’t get carried away.

“The players know that three points on Saturday is the main aim, and then it’s onto the next one and the next one.”