"Stop talking and get doing" - Michael Appleton's message to his Shrewsbury squad
Michael Appleton gave a clear ‘stop talking and get doing’ message to his players after they suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to MK Dons, writes Jordan Preece.
The hosts went into the fixture hoping to secure their first home league win of the season, but were pegged back after just three minutes, and the visitors wrapped up the victory late into the first half.
Substitute Chuks Aneke managed to get on the scoresheet for the first time in blue and amber, converting from 20 yards out.
But at the 10-game benchmark, the fans let their thoughts known at full-time with boos ringing around the Croud Meadow, and Appleton has been less than impressed with their start to the campaign.
“Disappointment and frustration," he said. “There is nothing more to it than that."
"There has certainly been games where we really deserved to lose the game and been disappointed from that point of view.
“In a lot of the games, certainly in the last five games, we have been more than competitive.
“More than worthy of a lot more points than what we have got on the board at this moment in time.
“Words are words, I could stay here and talk for an hour about this and that and the reasons why.
“Ultimately, you have to stop talking and get doing, and that is my message to the players.”
However, the second-half performance against promotion-chasing MK Dons has given Appleton enough confidence that he can turn this dismal run around.
“I think the lads have shown they are capable of pinning back a very experienced group in the second half.
“It pretty much gives me the confidence to know that they are more than capable of doing that.
“There is enough in that dressing room to start winning games and pulling ourselves away from the position that we are at.
“Hopefully, you get the opportunity to do that, if you don’t then that is life.”
The Shrewsbury chief has taken charge of 22 games, having won just three times, one of those coming against Chelsea Under-21s in the Football League Trophy and spoke about the pressure building.
“It is my job to be like that (being measured and composed) from an emotional point of view, I let my emotions felt at half-time.
“Before the game, every single day on the training pitch, that is what I enjoy and what I love.
“Players know how I feel about certain things but look when I am in front of you guys, I have to make sure not necessarily being measured but being honest.
“I am not going to shy away from anything or a performance or results. I am standing here knowing the reality is we need to win more games.
“If we don’t, I know what happens. I have managed plenty of games and plenty of football clubs.
“Every now and again, you need a bit of help from the people who cross the white line, and that’s where I’m at.”
