Arsenal loanee drops to the bench under new manager | OneFootball

Shrewsbury Town have appointed a new manager, but the early signs suggest Arsenal loanee Charles Sagoe Jr. has a job to win back his place in their starting lineup.

Photo via Sagoe Jr. on Instagram

Arsenal loanee Charles Sagoe Jr. has had a tough time making it into the Shrewsbury Town team lately, though changes in management likely haven’t helped the situation.

Up until the start of this month, Paul Hurst was in charge, but Shrewsbury decided to part ways with the manager after their FA Cup elimination by Salford City.

Sean Parrish took charge on an interim basis, and he initially dropped Sagoe Jr. from his squad completely, with the 20-year-old missing Shrewsbury’s match against Burton Albion on November 9th.

Photo via Shrewsbury on Instagram

There was no suggestion of an injury, and Sagoe Jr. did return to the starting lineup for an EFL Trophy game against Walsall the following midweek.

Perhaps it’s best not to read too much into that, as lower-league teams often rotate heavily in the cup competition. Even so, it was at least a return to the pitch.

Since then, Gareth Ainsworth has taken over at Shrewsbury, giving Sagoe Jr. another chance to break back into the team more regularly. Yet Ainsworth left the winger on the bench for Saturday’s game against Birmingham City.

The match was a major success for Shrewsbury, as they upset one of the favourites for promotion to win 3-2 and earn just their third victory of the season. Even so, it raises questions about the role Sagoe Jr. has to play under the new manager.

Photo via Shrewsbury on Instagram

On the positive side, Ainsworth has experience working with Arsenal loanees in the past. Tafari Moore joined the manager at Wycombe Wanderers in January 2018, and he made 13 starts in 14 matches before an injury brought his season to an early end on March 30th.

A run like that would be just what Sagoe Jr. needs, after three starts in Shrewsbury’s last 15 league games. He’s clearly got a job on his hands to convince the new boss to give him those opportunities though.