Portsmouth v Shrewsbury preview: Embarrassing Accrington loss as low as it will get, vows Josh Laurent

Josh Laurent no longer wants to come off the pitch feeling ‘embarrassed’ and is ready to feel the high he experienced after shining against Liverpool.

The midfielder admits Shrewsbury Town have let themselves down with their league results over the last six weeks.

Laurent, who starred in a man-of-the-match display against the European champions, confessed his own form has since dipped as Sam Ricketts’ men have gone without a win in nine League One matches.

But, after frustration from the stands spilled over during Tuesday’s home defeat to Accrington, the 24-year-old insists Town were ‘as bad as it will get’.

Laurent, the subject of speculation for a Championship switch last month, says the poor run has meant reflection on what is going wrong ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Portsmouth.

The in-form Fratton Park side had set a new club-record nine-match winning run before losing 1-0 to Coventry in midweek.

Laurent said: “Sometimes you need a little dip in form to sit down and reflect on what you are good at and what is missing for me to get back.

“Sometimes it can lead to five, six, seven or eight games of playing consistently well again. I hope that’s the last of my bad form and I can get back to playing well.

“The gaffer’s done everything he can possible to get us going, all kinds of tactics – it comes to a point where when we cross the white line it’s up to us to stand up for ourselves and how much desire we have.

“It’s not nice what happened the other night, it was horrible – as a player it makes you feel like it’s time to stand up for ourselves to get out of it.

“We are letting ourselves down. I’d be lying if I said it’s embarrassing coming off not winning again, or creating enough chances, or keeping the back door shut.

“It does get embarrassing. It’s hard to deal with. We’ve got to stick together and work hard as a team and as individuals to get ourselves out of it.”

Laurent admitted Town’s busy run of games given FA Cup replays have been more mentally straining than physical.

He added on the 2-2 draw with Liverpool: “At the time you’re feeling high and I want that feeling back. It’s going to come back in the next few games, I feel like my bad form and the other boys’ bad form is finished after the other night.”

“I feel that’s the worst it’s going to get. Sometimes you need the bad games to show a bit of character and heart to come out the other side and for me individually I’m sure that has happened.”

The midfielder, who was linked with Reading, Stoke and Cardiff among other, added: “The whole month was a bit different. I hadn’t really been through it (before). You go on social media and you’re seeing things about you that you’ve not even heard in speculation.

“You just put it to the back of your mind and carry on playing.

“Then obviously the Liverpool game happened and everyone’s tweeting you and there’s more speculation.

“But it wasn’t that hard to deal with because of the games. Gillingham brought me back down to earth quite quickly to be honest.”