Bad start is not be-all and end-all – Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill
Shrewsbury Town management staff have pointed to historical achievements in insisting the season isn’t over following a rough start.
League One basement boys Town will be looking for their first point and goal of the new league season at the fifth time of asking at home to Gillingham on Saturday.
Frustration grew among fans as League Two Rochdale dumped Town out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
But manager Steve Cotterill highlighted his 2001/2002 Division Three campaign with Cheltenham, where the Robins failed to win in their opening six leagues games – seven in all competitions including a Gay Meadow reverse – before recovering to win promotion via the play-offs.
“We need one of those scrappy goals to get us up and running. I remember us being promoted at Cheltenham,” said Cotterill, who after the Rochdale defeat admitted his players were low on confidence.
“We played the first six games and went 2-0 down in every game, we got back in two of those to 2-2, and ended up with three points from six games, but got promoted in the play-off final. I’ve just said that to the boys.”
Assistant manager Aaron Wilbraham also revealed earlier this week how a Crystal Palace side he was a crucial part of recovered from a torrid start to the Championship and a poor League Cup exit before turning it around to win the play-offs under Ian Holloway.
Wilbraham said: “Every time you win it’s a boost, you want to get into winning habits.
“There’s not been a lot wrong in performances so far, apart from the Morecambe one where we didn’t turn up.
“Yet we find ourselves with no wins in the league. But it’s early days, I remember being at Crystal Palace, we were second-favourites to go down, we lost the first five – four league and the cup – and went on to get promoted.
“Start of the seasons aren’t anything to look at. If we’re getting played off the park every game there might be concerns, but it hasn’t been the case. The lads have looked good and we’ve had a couple of freak results. We need to put that behind us.”
Town are likely to be without defender Matt Pennington for upcoming league games against Gillingham, Accrington Stanley and Crewe, after the stopper – who has started the season well – was dismissed for a professional foul against Rochdale. Pending an unlikely Salop appeal he will serve a three-game ban.
