Aaron Wilbraham admits Shrewsbury Town surprise at start ahead of Oxford clash
Assistant boss Aaron Wilbraham admits Shrewsbury Town have been ‘surprised’ by their poor start to the season.
But Steve Cotterill’s lieutenant has backed Town troops to continue to turn the tide at Oxford United tonight as Salop aim for their first consecutive wins of the campaign.
Saturday’s victory lifted Town two places to 21st but ninth-placed hosts Oxford pose another stern test for Cotterill’s stretched ranks. The thin squad could be without four players due to injury and suspension tonight.
“We know we’ve had a difficult start to the season but we know we’ve been in almost every game,” said Wilbraham, who filled in the hotseat while the manager was ill last season.
“With how hard the lads worked, the planning gone into games, everybody has given it their all and sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.
“We’ve been punished by set-pieces and counter-attacks, things teams get away with, and we just haven’t so far. We hope we’ve had our bad luck and things turn around.
“I’ve been at clubs where people aren’t giving their all and it can be worrying, but each player and member of staff is giving everything on the training ground, so it was surprising to us that we didn’t get the start we thought we were going to get.
“But you have to bounce back and I think the lads have started to show we can do that.
“It has been at times like that (stretched) a little bit this season and we’ll have to do that again if the injuries don’t come through.”
Josh Vela (knee) and Luke Leahy (suspended) miss out, while Aaron Pierre and George Nurse are fitness doubts.
