Steve Cotterill happy with Shrewsbury board's support

The window ended in disappointment for Town and their boss on Tuesday night as the club were unable to add to the nine signings made during the summer – despite the manager insisting it was not for the want of trying.

It is understood Cotterill, his head of recruitment Keith Burt and Town chief executive Brian Caldwell were working to the final seconds to try to bring in late deals after targets had opted against Shrewsbury early on deadline day and the back end of last week.

But, with supporters sharing their frustration as no further options were brought in to bolster the ranks, Cotterill was grateful to the backing from his employers.

Cotterill said: "So, if it's not good enough, I couldn't have tried any harder and neither could Keith.

"And the support of the chairman and CEO has been first-class, so I've got no gripes with anyone about trying to get in a thicker squad.

"But with all due respect, we had 29 players here last year, you can't play them all, and when you do, you end up rotating them so much they are unfit and everything else.

"Tuesday night (against Crewe) was disappointing, the performances, no-one's more disappointed about that. The players know that, I've just spoken to them in there."

Cotterill, whose side head to Accrington Stanley in League One on Saturday, admitted Town could look at the free agent window to beef their squad in the coming day and weeks. But he also confessed free transfers would then need to 'get up to speed', fitness-wise.

"I tried really, really hard to get another right-back in," added the manager. "But the amount of right-backs out there, better than what we've got, that are available, it's been a difficult time for right-backs. Normally the left-backs are the problem but we haven't had a problem with the lefties.

"We would've liked another holding midfield player, but the ones we've been after – sometimes Championship clubs don't want to let them out and it gets right until the last minute and then it is a mad rush.

"When the window shuts we'll be on to what's out there and left in the market and then you've got to try to get them up to speed again."