Aaron Pierre: New Shrewsbury Town boss demands perfection

Cotterill’s resurgent Town bid to make it a remarkable trio of victories against sides setting the pace in League One at the Keepmoat StadiumDoncaster this evening.

Town secured impressive back-to-back 1-0 victories against Hull and Lincoln City, who were first and second respectively at the time of playing, and now head to fourth-placed Rovers.

The u-turn in results, which has Cotterill still unbeaten after four league games in charge, has cut the gap between Shrews and League One safety to just a single point – and Pierre has lifted the lid on life at Sundorne Castle under the new man in charge.

“He’s very tactical, very specific about how he wants us to do things,” Pierre said. “If he doesn’t like something on the training pitch we literally do it over and over and over again until he sees it acceptable.

“He tries to keep it as simple as possible but in certain areas wants us to be adventurous, creative and do positive stuff.

“It’s working right about now so we can’t argue with it! He’s trying to better us so it’s alright.”

But the defender added that the Town boss is also happy to dish out plaudits.

He said: “He’s (also) full of praise if you do something well, you’ll hear him shout ‘well done, keep doing that’ or will pull you aside and say ‘that’s more like it’.

“As much as pull you aside for things to improve on, he’ll tap you on the back and say ‘well done keep going’ for the confidence to push on.”

Town were struggling with just one win in 13 league games under former boss Sam Ricketts, but Cotterill has led them to eight points from 12 against four sides currently in the top eight, ahead of another stiff test this evening.

“It’s difficult for me to answer because I got on with the previous manager very well,” Pierre added of the change in fortunes under Cotterill. “I don’t want to disrespect him in any regards.

“I just feel, in this situation, it’s always a must-win because he’s a new manager and everyone’s out to impress and up for it because no-one’s space is cemented.

“Everyone’s on the go, wants to do exactly what he wants to do, because he’s very strict and specific about how he wants things to be done. And if you don’t do it – I’m guessing you can see on the sidelines he’s a dominating manager that will express himself, you don’t want to get on that side of him.”

Pierre, who has impressed alongside his fellow defenders in recent weeks, insists the pressure is off Shrewsbury and on tonight’s hosts, free-scoring Doncaster, in their bid to go top of League One.

Pierre feels it will be Darren Moore’s in-form hosts who are handling the pressure of expectation of topping the tree come Christmas, with tonight the only fixture in the division. “It’s a lot more pressure on them – if they get a win out of the game then they will go top of the table,” said Pierre, 27.

“So there’s more pressure on them, for us it’s making sure that we do our jobs and make sure we apply ourselves accordingly to how the gaffer wants us to be.

“I think we’re all confident and know what the gaffer wants us to do in the game.”

Town’s festive schedule then sees them at Wigan on Boxing Day before hosting Blackpool and Crewe.