Steve Cotterill: Shrewsbury Town free midweek will be 'freshener'
Steve Cotterill expects his Shrewsbury players to be fresher heading into Saturday’s contest with Crewe following a rare week off.
Town have been put through their paces at Sundorne Castle having not been in action last night, a first free midweek since the opening week of the season.
Salop’s 1-0 reverse at Accrington Stanley was a fifth from their opening six league games and Cotterill’s men, who are 22nd, welcome 23rd-placed Crewe to Montgomery Waters Meadow on Saturday.
“What it will do is make them fresher by the time they go into the next game, as opposed to having Saturday-Tuesday all the time where there is no break,” said Town boss Cotterill.
“It’ll make them fresher, I think coaching-wise you’ll probably be able to spend a little bit longer (with them) without thinking ‘I need to get them off their legs’ – because that’s what does happen.
“We were able to do a little bit of preparation for the weekend last week that under normal (Saturday-Tuesday) circumstances I wouldn’t have been able to do.
“It probably just gives them a little bit more head space.”
Town will be boosted against the Railwaymen this weekend as midfielder David Davis returns from a one-match ban following the late skirmish in the previous home league clash, against Gillingham.
Crewe, like Shrewsbury, have endured a difficult start to the campaign. Former Shrews defender David Artell’s men have opened up with four defeats from five and remain winless.
