Steve Cotterill: Shrewsbury will not revert to counter-attack

Town are four defeats from four league games - and still the only Football League side without a goal - after the disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Plymouth.

Cotterill, who admitted he could not have seen his side's awful start to the league season coming, said he toyed with the idea of 'going back' to playing a more defensive style with a low block and trying to hurt teams on the counter, but felt it 'does not take the club forward'.

The manager has been open with his idea on trying to evolve the new-look team and its playing style, but Town's lack of a ruthless streak was highlighted as Ryan Lowe's Pilgrims scored three goals from just five attempts at goal. Shrewsbury had 17 efforts on goal but just one on target.

"No, I couldn't have done," Cotterill said when asked if he could've envisaged such a difficult start to the league season.

"But you have to keep working at it, don't you? There's no other way around it.

"The players worked incredibly hard in pre-season, the players that come in we're still trying to get up to speed.

"No-one would've wanted this to happen, it's been hard work putting everything together.

"We've ended up signing nine players, to sign nine players is really difficult, and we still want a couple more.

"It's been a huge turnaround at the football club. The football is better, I wouldn't say the results are that much better than the back end of last year.

"We had that purple patch when I first came in, but that was playing completely different to how we play now. I've toyed with the idea of whether we go back to that, but I don't think that takes the club forward.

"We've got to carry on trying to play and iron out the mistakes within that, because that's what they are.

"Plymouth haven't opened us up today, and have ended up winning 3-0. Last year they were more dominant with the ball than us, we countered and won 3-0."

Ryan Hardie's brace, sandwiched either side of strike partner Luke Jephcott's finish, sealed a fine away win for Argyle.

For Town, openers against Burton, Morecambe, Portsmouth and Plymouth have yielded no return as the wait for a first point - and even goal - of the campaign goes on. It is the first time Salop have failed to score in their first four league games.

A big home game against Gillingham, who have started with just one win from four league games, comes next Saturday.

Cotterill said: "It is disappointment, really. It's not a 3-0 game, it's definitely not a 3-0 game. With the possession we've had, from the crosses we've had, we should've made more of those.

"We ended up getting something like 28 crosses into the box and we haven't got on the end of them, we need to be more ruthless, not only in our own box, but their box.

"We can't give away to teams goals we've given today. We gave three poor goals today from our possession, from good possession for us."

The boss added: "They've scored two in the second half from four attempts on goal (in all). We've had something like 17 shots and one of them on target.

"That's not good enough at the end of the day, we're not going to win a game if we end up defending like that.

"When the boys don't keep a clean sheet it makes the rest of the boys snatch at chances. That's what we've got, into that scenario, we didn't want to end up with a start like this."