CONFIDENCE is obviously high among the players at the moment ahead of Saturday’s game with Shrewsbury Town.

With the energy levels we have in our team I always thought a good run of results was coming.

And now it’s arrived we want to keep it going.

The players have been brilliant in winning their last three games but I watched Shrewsbury beat Norwich City in the League Cup on Tuesday night and we’re in for a real test this weekend.

I’ve known their manager, Micky Mellon, for quite some time as we were team-mates together at Blackpool.

He’s put together a very solid team and he’s got a couple of players, in James Wesolowski and Ryan Woods who play exactly the same way he did.

They play good football and are very solid but we’re obviously hoping the excitement of the cup win may lead to them taking their eye off the ball a bit this weekend.

However, knowing Micky like I do I can’t see that happening.

He made something like 17 or 18 new signings in the summer so he has a strong squad and can shake things up if he needs to.

The team on Tuesday may well not be the same team we play against in terms of players but I know what to expect now.

We’re in good form too though and it’s a test we’re looking forward too.

Victory would also get us back to the two points per game ratio we’re aiming for and I know the lads can’t wait to get out there again.

GREAT FOR KEVAN HURST TO GET OFF THE MARK

IT WAS great to see Kevan Hurst get his season off and running with a goal at York City last weekend.

When you’ve worked with a player for 17 or 18 months like I have with Kevan I think there’s that element of trust between you.

I trust Kevan will do well and I know he has trust in what we’re trying to achieve too.

Before last season, I think he had probably averaged five or six goals a year and half a dozen assists.

But last year was the best in his history as he scored 12 goals and made another 17.

If he can do that again this season then I think we will finish in the top three because we have improved the quality of the other players around in now in the final third of the pitch now.

BEN COKER HAS CAST REMOVED

BEN Coker has had the cast removed on his injured elbow now and he has it in a brace.

That allows him to step things up and we obviously have a good reference point with this kind of injury with Michael Timlin who is making good progress.

He’s not on the verge of a comeback at this stage but he is close to maybe coming back in to the full training which is good news.

Cian Bolger should be back out there today after recovering from a thigh strain and Ryan Leonard is responding well to treatment on his hamstring injury.

Lenny could be back in light training by the end of the week and that’s obviously good news.

COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES WATCHING MANCHESTER UNITED

I COULDN’T believe my eyes watching Manchester United capitulation at Leicester City last weekend.

I think any team would be asking questions about letting slip a 3-1 lead to 5-3, let alone a club like Manchester United.

It did take an horrendous refereeing decision to get Leicester back in to the game but Manchester United should still have been able to defend better than they did.

I found it quite sad to see and I think it’s fairly obvious they haven’t got the balance of the team quite right at this stage.

CANNOT WAIT FOR RYDER CUP TO GET UNDERWAY

I CANNOT wait for the Ryder Cup to get underway this weekend.

I won’t be watching on Saturday for obvious reasons but I’ll be tracking it tomorrow and Sunday because for me it’s by far the best sports event ever televised.

My prediction is for Europe to win by three clear points and I was lucky enough to get out and play a round of golf myself yesterday.

It was for the Sparks charity, which I have been happy to support for the last 12 years or so, and Dennis Waterman, Willie Thorne and Jason Leonard were among the others playing so it was great fun.

PENALTY RULE WAS NEWS TO ME!

THE incredible penalty shoot-out, which ended 14-13 to Liverpool against Middlesbrough, made for great viewing I’ve never been involved in anything like that before and I think 8-7 is the longest I’ve ever experienced.

Obviously we had won against AFC Wimbledon in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and I learnt a rule I never actually knew before!

Wimbledon had finished the game with 10 men so I had to deselect one of my players who wouldn’t be able to take a penalty.

I didn’t know what the referee meant when he first said it but now I’m ready and waiting should it ever come up at a quiz.