Training and motivation key to Shrewsbury's winning habit says Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill says practice on the training ground and motivating his players is key for Shrewsbury Town to maintain their performance levels.
Salop got their third win in succession at Montgomery Waters Meadow against Bolton Wanderers last weekend thanks to a late Chey Dunkley goal.
And now the focus for Cotterill is to ensure his side maintains their good from when they visit Peterborough United at the weekend.
Town have been good for the last two months, but only recently have they got a tangible reward to show for it.
The Town boss says they must keep up the hard work on the training ground, and he must find ways of keeping them motivated.
“Practice. That way you can make things habitual to them,” Cotterill said when asked about how to get them to keep it up.
“The training ground is a key area for that.
“If I want you to do something, it is not enough to tell players, you have to show them as well.
“So, practice on the training ground and motivation as well.
“Sometimes there are lots of different ways of motivating people, you just have to find the angle and the moment I suppose.”
Rob Street got his first goal for the club on Saturday, scoring in the second minute to give Town the lead.
Bolton came from behind to lead 2-1, but Christian Saydee’s first goal since September inspired Town to a late comeback win. It is not the first time Salop have scored late goals, they did it against Wycombe earlier in the season to come from behind to win, and they also snatched a late winner against Exeter City – Dunkley again the man with the goal.
The Shrewsbury players are put through their paces during pre-season by the boss, and that can go some way to explaining why they come on strong towards the end of games.
The players have referred to Cotterill’s pre-season workouts as being tough, and he makes the players do a 350-metre run which he says they do not like doing. He said: “The boys have a run in pre-season that they hate doing, it is 350 metres.
“They really don’t like doing them.
“But what happens is during the game, is they never run 350m out there all in one hit.
“What they have to do in a game is replicate 60m or 70m sprints.
“So if they can keep replicating them then with the 350m base for them, then that is great.”
Lots of people inside the club have pointed out Cotterill’s attention to detail of late.
Matthew Pennington said the boss is ‘meticulous’ when it comes to set-piece planning. Jon Pearce, the Town kit man, said the boss leaves no stone unturned when it comes to preparing for games.
And Cotterill says that is just the way he is, regardless of football.
“That attention to detail I think I have in life in general,” he said. “I think it has been said by a few players over the years – they are bits that give you an advantage.
“I am like that in life if you know what I mean – it is not just football.
“Sometimes it can drive people mad, it might drive the players mad at times.
“But you can only be what you can be, and the best thing in this job is to be yourself.”
