Chloe Hudson-Jones
Ex-Aston Villa defender on BBC Radio Shropshire

Every manager has a different way of playing and a different philosophy. We know Gareth Ainsworth wants to high press, he wants to play aggressively and it looks like the players have welcomed that.

His managerial style is he want's teams to really go for it, and you can see he is so passionate on the sideline. He kicks, heads every ball from the technical area, and that's what you want as a player. You want to be driven and believed in.

I love the front-foot approach from him and the aggressive approach, I think the team will flourish.

And we are under way!

Image source, Rex Features

Wholesale changes from Chris Davies to the side which beat Blackpool in the second round of the FA Cup last weekend with just captain Krystian Bielik keeping his place.

Davies reverts to the starting line-up which beat Exeter City in the league on November 26 with top scorer Jay Stansfield (above) restored to the XI.

For Stockport County, Dave Challinor makes four changes from the side which beat Brackley Town 3-1 to reach the FA Cup third round, with Ben Hinchliffe given the gloves and captain Lewis Bate, Ryan Rydel and top scorer Louie Barry back in.

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson makes two changes from the line-up that beat Notts County 4-3 in the FA Cup second round on Saturday.

George Nevett and Abraham Odoh come in for Emmanuel Fernandez and Malik Mothersille.

The Brewers have made four changes from the side that were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league Tamworth on penalties on Sunday.

Jason Sraha, Ciaran Gilligan, Rumarn Burrell and Sunday's goalscorer Mason Bennett come in for Jack Armer, Jack Cooper-Love, Billy Bodin and Danilo Orsi.

Image source, Getty Images

Shrewsbury manager Gareth Ainsworth has made an unchanged side from the team that beat high-flying Birmingham City 11 days ago.

Tom Bloxham and John Marquis partner up front with Leo Castledine given the nod to play just in behind whilst Carl Winchester continues to captain the team.

Steve Bruce has decided to freshen up his side and makes five changes from the side that were knocked out of the FA Cup by Birmingham three days ago.

Oliver Casey, Ryan Finnigan, Oliver Norburn, Elliot Embleton and Dom Ballard make way for Zac Ashworth, Josh Onomah, Lee Evans, Albie Morgan and Ashley Fletcher.

Shrewsbury: Savin; Hoole, Nsiala, Pierre, Benning; Gilliead, Winchester (c), Perry; Castledine; Bloxham, Marquis (subs: Young, Nurse, Shipley, Ojo, O'Reilly, Rossiter, Lloyd).

Blackpool: Tyrer, Offiah, Pennington, Ashworth, Husband; Apter, Evans, Onomah, Morgan; Joseph, Fletcher (subs: O'Donnell, Lawrence-Gabriel, Thompson, Embleton, Finnigan, Ballard, Bondo).

Image source, Rex Features

Fleetwood go into this League Two fixture with just the one league win in their last six games. Charlie Adam’s side have only won one of their last eight midweek league games (D4 L3), a 6-2 win over Walsall in October.

However, Cod Army fans may well take heart with the fact that their side are unbeaten across their last five league games against Doncaster (W4 D1), keeping a clean sheet in each of their last three such matches against the Yorkshire side.

Doncaster return to league action after their hard-fought extra-time 2-1 win at Kettering Town in the FA Cup second round on Sunday. It was veteran striker Billy Sharp with the two goals and it will be interesting to see if that game will have any impact on tonight’s performance.

Rovers have only lost one of their last nine league games (W4 D4), although they have drawn their last three on the bounce.

Image source, Rex Features

It’s back to league matters for Bromley after their FA Cup exploits. The Ravens reached the third round for the first time by overcoming National League side Solihull Moors.

They remain undefeated in their past five league games with their last four all ending in draws. In fact, seven of their last nine league games have been drawn and Andy Woodman’s side could do with a win to keep them away from the relegation zone.

Gillingham’s last outing was a 2-1 defeat against Harrogate Town. That’s now six defeats in their last eight league games (W1 D1), so they need to pick up some form soon if they are to take advantage of just how tight it is above them in the table.

However, the Gills do have a good record of late against newly promoted sides winning each of their last three league games.

These two have met once before in the 2006-07 season with Gillingham winning an FA Cup first-round tie 4-1.

Image source, Rex Features

Peterborough United take on League One's basement side Burton Albion off the back of a thrilling 4-3 victory over Notts County in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Ricky Jade-Jones scored twice for Darren Ferguson's men, who survived a late scare from the League Two side to set up a third-round tie with Everton at Goodison Park.

Posh have scored 18 goals in their past four matches in all competitions at home and a win tonight would move them from up four places to 10th, six points outside the play-off places.

Burton Albion's season, meanwhile, hit another low on Sunday after they were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league Tamworth, who were rewarded with a third-round tie at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Brewers have picked up only eight points from their opening 16 league matches: only one of the last 14 third-tier sides to have eight points or fewer at this stage of the season to have avoided relegation were Bournemouth in 1994-95.

Tonight signal's Albion's ninth consecutive match without a permanent head coach following the sacking of Mark Robinson after the 3-2 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers in October.

Image source, Rex Features

Struggling Shrewsbury Town are aiming for back-to-back league wins for the first time since February 2023 following their impressive 3-2 victory over Birmingham City 11 days ago.

Despite only having 20% of possession against Blues, Gareth Ainsworth's men managed to hold on to a vital three points - scoring from three of their four shots on target in the match.

The Salopians still sit seven points adrift of safety in the League One table, but under ex-Wycombe Wanderers boss Ainsworth they have a new sense of belief they can get themselves out of trouble for the first time this season.

Blackpool's last league outing resulted in them picking up three points for the first time in nine matches with a 2-0 victory at Bristol Rovers.

Prior to then, Steve Bruce's side had tallied only three points from a possible 24, but an own goal from Rovers defender Bryant Bilongo and a second-half penalty from Lee Evans was enough for them leave the Memorial Ground with a deserved victory.

The Seasiders were knocked out of the FA Cup by Birmingham on Sunday but a late consolation goal from Jordan Rhodes will be a welcome confidence boost to the veteran striker, who is still yet to find his first league goal of the campaign.

Image source, Rex Features

A year ago, with Birmingham City nestled in mid-table security in the Championship and Stockport County in League Two, you could have got long odds on tonight’s clash even happening.

Yet a relegation and a promotion later we have two teams arriving as near equals and with both fancying their chances of victory to boost realistic promotion hopes.

Pre-season favourites Birmingham have hit a bump or two of late winning just one of their past four in the league, but their assured early season form still puts them within touching distance of the top two.

Chris Davies’s side have two games in hand on leaders Wycombe who they trail by six points, and three on second-placed Wrexham who are four points to the good. Win them and Birmingham could be top.

In Stockport County though, the hosts welcome a side unlikely to gift wrap the points.

Dave Challinor’s side are fifth, three points behind tonight's hosts after playing two more games, have won four of their past five, and have League One’s leading scorer Louie Barry in their ranks.

On 13 goals already, the Aston Villa loanee and lifelong Villans fan, will be highly motivated to add to his tally and press Stockport County’s realistic promotion hopes in the process.

Image source, PA Media

Thanks for joining us for what should be an interesting night of EFL football.

Five matches in Leagues One and Two for us to get our teeth stuck into which are all set to kick off at 7:45PM GMT.

League One

Birmingham City v Stockport County

Peterborough United v Burton Albion

Shrewsbury Town v Blackpool

League Two

Bromley v Gillingham

Fleetwood Town v Doncaster Rovers