Shrewsbury Town boss Steve Cotterill urges players to 'put your feet up' ahead of Gillingham test
Steve Cotterill wants his Shrewsbury Town players to put their feet up and catch up on sleep ahead of tonight's clash at Gillingham.
Town departed for Kent yesterday in a bus journey that takes best part of five hours on a clear day. The visitors are looking to respond to Saturday's last-gasp defeat at managerless Gills, who dropped to rock-bottom of League One on Saturday.
The Priestfield club, who saw Steve Evans depart earlier this month, have not won in 15 games in all competitions, dating back to October 19, that run includes just a single point from their last nine league fixtures.
Cotterill, whose side are 18th and three points clear of the drop, insists best preparation is key. He said: "What we'll do – and they don't get the option too often – is have an extra lie-in in bed.
"Breakfast will be optional for them, then they'll get up and we'll have a light lunch and probably back for some more bed rest and then a pre-match meal.
"(It is) As much time as you can get them in their beds really, when we're away, because the only time we recuperate is when we go to sleep.
"So there will be as much bed rest as we can possibly get.
"We trained yesterday, there isn't facilities for us, it'd just be taking it out of their legs. If we were at home we wouldn't be bringing them in to train and walk around Shrewsbury all afternoon."
The Town boss continued: "I don't like travelling anywhere on a bus, if we could have every game overnight I would.
"It's just about the right preparation. It never ever guarantees you the result, but it gives you the best chance because it means the lads can rest.
"Even though they love their families, a few will go home and run up and down the stairs with their kids and all of that. They won't have to do that for a night. They can relax and get ready."
Cotterill has named the same starting line-up for six matches in succession as Town turned around their form of late.
And the manager said ahead of a tight turnaround for Gillingham: "What happens here is I'm incredibly loyal to people who are loyal to me.
"We've got a really good team at the moment and they've worked incredibly hard to get us into the position we're in.
"And anybody who breaks into that team is going to have to work twice as hard."
