Shrewsbury Town v Cambridge preview: Boss explains why jumping around technical area is not his way

Home clashes against top-half Cambridge on Saturday and lowly strugglers Crawley are next up for second-bottom Town, who last celebrated three points in front of their own supporters at the beginning of February.

A dearth of victories has increased scrutiny on boss Appleton, who agreed a new contract as Shrewsbury boss at the beginning of the summer after he was unable to prevent relegation having replaced Gareth Ainsworth in March.

Appleton often cuts a calm presence in the technical area - something defender Sam Stubbs talked up this week - and the head coach explained how his coaching "personality" is about ensuring all possible preparation and detail is given to players.

Town's boss insists he prides his work in the detail, as opposed to animated actions from the dugout.

"A lot gets said about passion, and I hear this thing about passion on the side of the pitch and stuff," Appleton told the Shropshire Star.

"I think what they're talking about is personality. I'm the type of person who isn't going to be waving his arms, doing laps up and down his technical area and stuff like that.

"There are people in the Football League, some managers who do that and that's them, that's their personality.

"My sort of passion and everything else, intensity, comes away from the limelight. It comes when we're training, at half-time in the dressing room and before the game in the dressing room. That's where my passion and intensity come in and it's (about) picking the moments to do that.

"The reality is I feel that I don't need to throw my arms around and jump around on the sidelines, because I feel that we're proper prepared and there's nothing that the players don't know about the opposition and what we want to do and how we want to do it.

"So I try and allow them to do it as best they possibly can. If we can I might impact that by making a substitution or whatever it may be or changing the shape."

Town could have Toto Nsiala back after his Barrow absence but fellow defender Tom Anderson is sidelined.

Saturday's visitors Cambridge were relegated with Shrewsbury from League One last term. They finished second-bottom, directly above basement boys Town and five points better off.

They sit eighth under Neil Harris, the former Millwall frontman who is in his second spell in charge of the U's having seen a second stint at Millwall last less than a year. He returned to Abbey Stadium in February.

Cambridge are unbeaten in five league games having won three of those including two on the spin. They recently pushed Premier League Fulham hard in the EFL Cup at Craven Cottage but lost 1-0.

They recruited some experienced heads in the summer, including former Sheffield United back-up goalkeeper Jake Eastwood and former Charlton stalwart Ben Purrington. Also checking in were midfielders Dom Ball, from Leyton Orient, and Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, the Luton legend who rose from the National League to the Premier League with the Hatters.