Vocal Jim O'Brien is sure of a Shrewsbury revival
Perhaps surprisingly, due to his reserved demeanour, Jim O'Brien is a self-proclaimed vocal member of the Shrewsbury Town squad.
The Salop vice-captain had endured a difficult few months and has recently found himself kicking every ball and shouting for every challenge from the sidelines.
A serious groin injury curtailed his 2015/16 campaign and a subsequent operation always meant O'Brien's Salop career may need some kick-starting.
Despite featuring in a number of pre-season outings, the attacker was always wary of a backlash from the remains of the niggling problem.
But after returning to Micky Mellon's team and taking the armband during last weekend's Scunthorpe defeat, the former Barnsley star is hoping the worst is behind him and he can focus on helping Town click.
The Scot admitted that finding form has proved a little trickier than many imagined, but he remained unequivocally sure that the 'clicking' process is just around the corner.
"I think we're going to click, it's maybe taking a little longer than it should but I think we might be pretty close to that," said O'Brien, who will hope to keep his place in Mellon's team for tomorrow's trip to Kingsmeadow.
"It's important that we keep working hard every day in training to know each other. As I've said, getting to know each other as people, their strengths and weaknesses, it'll click eventually.
"I speak to the younger lads when they need speaking to and I'll shout and them when they need shouting at.
"I'm a bit conscious of speaking too much because naturally I'm a loud person anyway.
"It's maybe taken a lot longer than we thought it would've, that happens in football.
"Look at Scunny, they've not had a big turnover and I think that'll go a long way for them because everyone knows each other and that's important but we're working on it and we're working hard. It's a great bunch of lads here, there are no egos in the dressing room, everyone gets on, there's obviously louder ones and quieter ones but you always get that mix.
"It's a good bunch of lads and a good place to come and work."
Facing the Dons will be a first for O'Brien, quite a feat, considering the 28-year-old has chalked up more than 250 professional games.
While disappointment has been an overriding factor through the opening weeks of the season, the winger admitted there has been times when the club have been a little tough on themselves.
The former Championship star did add a note of caution, however, warning Salop that staying intact with mid-table sides above them was crucial as League One begins to take shape.
"A few weeks ago I think we were a bit hard on ourselves," he added.
"One of the lads pointed out after the Bury game, look at a team like Chesterfield who think they're flying and a team like us who thing we've stuttered, we were on the same points at that stage.
"But now I think we've got to start putting points on the board, that's important, you don't want to be sucked in when gaps start appearing.
"You don't want to be under that gap so it's important that we start putting points on the board. But we're doing the right things and it's fine margins at the moment."
