Aaron Pierre: Shrewsbury Town fans will see the real me

The experienced centre-half missed a sizeable chunk of Town’s intense pre-season training schedule under Cotterill due to international commitments with Grenada at the Gold Cup.

Pierre has featured in all three of Town’s league games so far but the boss has admitted the defender is not where Shrewsbury want him to be, fitness-wise.

The 28-year-old did, however, put in his best display of the campaign so far in the 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth on Tuesday night. Pierre said afterwards that he is being pushed to get up to speed as soon as possible and promised supporters will see the real Pierre again soon.

“Pre-season is completely different to playing international football, it’s a lot slower, even though it is competitive games,” Pierre said.

“Everything is more tactical, it’s not like League One games where it’s fit and fast and the transition of play is massive.

“The gaffer has been on to me in terms of getting up to speed and everything, I’ve been trying my best and in games to come you will see the real Pierre again.”

The defender added: “I’m just trying to do my best and improve myself in every game, to make sure I do the club well, do the gaffer well and just keep on pushing.”

Town remain without a point or goal after three games in League One and will look to kickstart their campaign at Montgomery Waters Meadow over the next couple of weeks.

Cotterill’s side face four home games on the spin – two in the league and one each in the Carabao Cup and Papa John’s Trophy – and seven of the next nine at home. Plymouth and Gillingham are the league visitors over the next successive Saturdays.

Pierre has seen enough quality in Town’s addition and display on Tuesday to be confident. He said: “Gaffer is very selective on who has been brought in to do a certain role.

“Games are coming thick and fast, so we have to learn very quickly at the end of the day.

“The players he has brought in are very good players and have gelled well with the squad, so it’s only a matter of time until we gel completely and put in the full performance that he expects.”

“I’m not (wanting) to compare to other clubs but like last year, say Oxford was in this situation where they weren’t winning games and then all of a sudden once they got the first win it was win after win after win and they pushed up the league quickly.

“Hopefully that’s the same momentum that we’re going to get. We’re putting in the performances gradually and we’re getting better.

“And now Saturday is the first step that we need to get the three points – in any way necessary.”