Charlie Daniels hails Steve Cotterill’s ‘back to basics’ approach at Shrewsbury Town

Cotterill has overseen a mammoth upturn in results, including 13 points from a possible 15, to lift Salop from second-bottom of League One to five points clear of the drop zone.

Town were bereft of confidence under former boss Sam Ricketts having gone winless in eight league games and taken just one victory from their opening 13 in league action.

But Shrewsbury’s run of seven games unbeaten under the new boss, including four wins, is the result of a change in structure and a stripped-back approach, according to Daniels, who has been in fine form.

“I think structure,” Daniels responded when asked to pinpoint a change under Cotterill. “With the way that he wanted us to set up and type and patterns of play, I guess.

“It’s just stripping it back to basics, really, and building it from there.

“And then you can see gradually as we go game-by-game we seem to be getting better and better, more composed on the ball and possession-based.

“And have a bit more of a threat as well, you can see with the goals we’ve scored, it’s a good sign.”

The 34-year-old’s short-term deal expires later this month but he is open to extending his Town stay.

Daniels was part of Cotterill’s side that expertly saw out their most recent win, against Blackpool last Tuesday, before last weekend’s visit of Crewe was postponed due to positive Covid results.

The former Bournemouth star, alongside a number of other Town players including a reinvigorated back three and midfield duo Ollie Norburn and Josh Vela, looks full of confidence.

“Results breed confidence, when you go on a run unbeaten the confidence just flows, you see that especially with some of the play that we’re doing,” Daniels added. “We’re starting to get a bit more control of the football and the game.

“When we do score it’s not so much ‘right let’s sit back and try to hold on’ , it’s seeing out the game properly with game management and we have a threat to score as well, not only but two or three.

“(the play) comes with confidence and trusting each other as a team. Winning breeds confidence and the more we win the more confidence we’ll get and more opportunities we’ll create, and hopefully more goals we’ll score.”

Daniels, a Premier League star of five seasons with the Cherries, has been utilised at left wing-back in Cotterill’s 3-5-2 system, a role he is not alien to.

He added: “I’ve done it (left wing-back) a few times, when we went to a back five – it was a bit different with the way we played – but it’s something I really enjoy.

“I like to get forward and I have to defend as well. It suits me and the more and more we do it hopefully I get more influence on the game.

“But I enjoy it and it suits the personnel we have in the team.

“Of course I am (feeling part of it). Every club I’m at I dive in and try to know the lads as much as I can.

“Everyone’s been so good to me and welcome me and made me feel a part of it, it’s really special.”

Meanwhile, former Shrewsbury boss John Askey has been sacked by League Two side Port Vale.

Askey had been in charge at Vale Park since February 2019 but was without a win in six games as Vale had slipped to 17th in League Two.

The former Town chief, in charge at Montgomery Waters Meadow for just three months at the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign, managed just one win in 12 league games, after being named for manager of the month for September.