Steve Cotterill: Not fair to talk Shrewsbury transfer targets

Shrewsbury Town emerged from last month’s mid-season window with the same-sized squad as the first half of the season, with four through the door to replace four departures.

Cotterill admitted to losing out on a target at right wing-back at the 11th hour and it is believed Town were also looking to boost their forward line. Sam Cosgrove’s loan ended and Rekeil Pyke departed for Scunthorpe on loan on deadline day.

“Whatever goes on in my office and whatever we think we need will always stay in my office,” Cotterill said.

“Just because I think if you start talking about anyone else, all it does is undermines your dressing room and I don’t want to undermine such a good set of lads, who give everything.

“We know that we’re not anywhere near the finished article, but it’s very, very difficult to change everything round all in one hit without a lorry load of money.

“Even if you have got a lorry load of money it doesn’t guarantee you results anyway, you’ve only got to look up and down the league at that.”

Striker Pyke, who played a couple of games at wing-back before Christmas, joined struggling League Two Iron until the end of the season. Pyke is currently halfway through his three-year Montgomery Waters Meadow deal. He has started twice and been a late substitute for Scunthorpe and is yet to score.

“I think his agents wanted to get him out on loan,” Cotterill said.

“I spoke to a guy called Will Swann at Scunthorpe, I think he’s the chairman’s son, he was a really, really nice young man, so it was a pleasure to help Will Swann out. I was really pleased with that and that’s it.”

Asked about Pyke heading out for regularly minutes and in a bid to get among the goals, the manager added: “We’ll wait and see on that one.”