Shrewsbury Town have had a disappointing opening run of results to begin their League Two campaign. With a clear hangover from third-tier relegation, Michael Appleton has spoken on what is required to overcome this early slump.
Appleton’s side sit in 23rd place after just four league matches, with a 3-1 defeat to Grimsby Town ending an EFL Cup run at the first stage. The Shrews must bounce back from this setback by visiting a mixed-form Swindon Town side this weekend. Swindon have two wins and two losses this campaign.
The 49-year-old was evidently frustrated by the latest 4-1 demolition at the hands of Notts County, who themselves needed a turnaround in form. During this club interview, Appleton has insisted that a losing mentality needs to shift in order to kick on in the league.
When questioned about the quick turnaround of fixtures in the EFL, as well as Swindon preparations, the former Lincoln City manager replied with this:
“I hope they’re [The upcoming 30 hours] better than the last 30 hours I’ve had anyway. So that’s the idea. Difficult for us the other night, even watching it I genuinely thought it was a 50/50 game that we’ve lost 4-1, which is hard to swallow. All sorts of stuff that we need to tidy up and be better at.
I was a lot more pleased with what we produced with the ball the other night. Obviously got done with a couple of errors and poor pieces of defending that I don’t want to see again if possible. I’ll try rectify that by the decisions I make: 1. picking the team and 2. making the players available to us that I think can put a performance in that is deserved of the shirt they’ve got.”
On the League Two outfit’s upcoming opposition, Appleton offered this insight on the visiting profile:
“I’m looking forward to it; I watched them the other night, I was at the game. They have a style of play that suits them and has worked for them. Ollie went in obviously last year and did ever so well. It was a difficult start for him but they went on a fantastic run… it’s difficult to play against and you’ve got to be mentally right and physically right.
“But I do think it’s a game that we can win.”
Fitness levels and injury concerns in the squad were brought up subsequently by the interviewer, with the Shrewsbury gaffer responding positively:
“No fresh concerns. I would’ve been very surprised after the other night if anyone had declared themselves unfit for this weekend.”
Writer’s View
Shrewsbury desperately need a turnaround in results, whether that comes in the form of a smash-and-grab against Swindon or not.
To avoid the same fate as Forest Green Rovers and Carlisle United, the newly-relegated side cannot rely on other teams performing worse than them in such an unpredictable league. With the squad that Appleton has, a slow start should just be an anomaly in a likely-survival campaign.
