"It doesn't matter what I think" - Michael Appleton discusses his future after 'calamity' 3-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers
Michael Appleton has reaffirmed his belief that he is the right man to guide Shrewsbury Town to safety this season, but conceded that it "does not matter" what he thinks.
The Salop boss was speaking shortly after watching his side fall to a dismal 3-0 defeat at home to fellow strugglers Bristol Rovers, who prior to Thursday's game had picked up just one point from their previous 13 league matches, and had not won in League Two since September 27.
Chants of 'you're sacked in the morning' were heard from sections of the Croud Meadow after Town's fourth consecutive defeat, but despite the nightmare start to 2026 Appleton insisted nothing has changed in his mind about his suitability for the job.
"I've felt under pressure about three games in, that hasn't changed," Appleton replied when asked if he felt his position was under pressure. "The reality is we're in a position that we don't want to be in, and I certainly don't want to be in.
"Is the pressure on? Probably, and rightly so. I'm not going to shy away from anything and I completely understand it.
"The frustrations at times can boil over, but that's football and it's the world we live in these days.
"The fans are obviously disappointed to lose such a big game against a team close to us and I understand people's frustrations, but this is not the first time I've been in this type of situation. I've got to stay positive, I've got to try and help the players and motivate them to challenge themselves every day and look forward to the games that we've got coming up."
When asked if he still believes that he is the man to turn Shrewsbury's season around, Appleton glumly replied: "Well I do, but it doesn't matter what I think, does it? It doesn't matter what I think."
The Town boss also insisted that the game could be analysed through two different lenses - emotional or logical - and that despite the score line he felt his side still enjoyed bright moments on a bitterly cold and gloomy afternoon.
"From an emotional point of view the first goal was a little bit of a calamity situation," Appleton said. "We certainly could have dealt with it better, and then the other two goals come from us trying to press, us trying to get the equaliser and then a little bit of desperation from them.
"That's the emotional side of me, but the logical side of it is that up until their first goal we've had two big chances in the game, one on ones, that unfortunately we weren't able to take, and we've been badly punished."