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Shrewsbury Town boss Paul Hurst says he think most of the club's fans "understand" the scale of the challenge facing the side in League One this season.

Defeat to last season's League Two champions Stockport County on Tuesday left struggling Salop 23rd in the table, three points clear of bottom club Cambridge United but having played a game more.

After a summer of heavy recruitment, with 15 new signings arriving, Hurst is keen to improve on their 19th-placed finish last season and prove those who tipped them for relegation wrong.

However, a run of only one win from their first nine games already has Shrewsbury feeling the early-season heat.

"I've said how strong the league is," Hurst told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Shropshire.

"I would probably suggest to those who are really frustrated and maybe think that we'd roll Stockport over is try to do a bit of research and fact-finding.

"A lot of people, who've watched us, tell us they think we're playing well and ultimately we've had a tough start."

That start has seen Shrewsbury face Peterborough, who reached the play-offs last season, relegated Championship sides Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United, and the three promoted teams from League Two - Stockport, Wrexham and Mansfield Town.

They go to last season's beaten play-off finalists Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, having already lost to the Trotters in the EFL Cup in August.

"I honestly believe there's an understanding," Hurst said. "I don't want to start going into details but I think we knew at the start of the season the challenge ahead.

"It hasn't changed. All it's doing is emphasising that challenge at the moment.

"You only have to look at the table in general - you've got Huddersfield, Rotherham - big teams in the lower half of the table and they'll want to climb it."

Hurst said he is "not overly" concerned with Shrewsbury's lack of goals so far, with only five scored at home and one away as they try to end a run of five games without a win.

"I want us to have more attempts at goal. I think we get into good positions but then it's that quality. Players have to try to produce that," he said.

"All I want to do is work with the players and ask the fans to stick with us and, as I've always said here, they're one of the best sets of fans in terms of getting behind the players not just throwing negativity at them."