Steve Cotterill: Deadline unfair on EFL Trophy teams

The summer transfer window closes at 11pm tonight with Salop still in the market for additions.

But they are also in Papa John’s Trophy action tonight – with Cotterill’s side hosting Crewe at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

That game is one of 21 EFL Trophy fixtures taking place this evening.

And Cotterill doesn’t believe it’s fair teams have to play on the same day the transfer window closes.

“I don’t quite know why they’ve done that,” he said.

“I think with them doing it on Tuesday, where there’s a game, why didn’t they just extend it by a day?

“All a sudden managers, coaches, head of recruitments, they are all consumed with games, whether it’s scouting them, preparing your team for them and that takes out a big chunk of your day, a massive chunk of your day.

“The fact there’s been so many games in this month has been really, really difficult for everybody.”

Speaking after Shrewsbury’s win over Gillingham on Saturday, Cotterill said he felt it was unlikely Town would add to their squad.

But he revealed they will try and get a deal or two done if the right player becomes available.

“We’ve just got to keep looking, all the way up until that deadline,” he said. “If we can add we will, that’s what we want to do. But it is becoming increasingly difficult, the players out there are few and far between.”