Steve Cotterill seeing similarities between current Shrewsbury crop and previous promotion teams
Steve Cotterill says he can see similarities between his Shrewsbury side and other teams that have won promotion under his management.
Salop have been in incredible form of late, having not lost a League One game since New Year’s Day.
They narrowly missed out on winning seven games in succession for the first time in almost three decades when they drew at Exeter on Tuesday.
But it was a good point given the injuries and suspensions they are dealing with at the moment – and they are still in the hunt for a play-off spot.
And the boss, who has several promotions under his belt, in a managerial career which spans more than 800 professional games, says he sees similarities in this squad to successful ones he has had in the past.
He said: “When I look at the five promotions, it has been very similar in terms of the dressing room.
“What we did not have is a squad as small as this, and we did not have the injuries on top of that that probably makes where we are in the league at this moment in time, forgetting about promotions, makes it incredible really.
“I suppose there is never anything that is quite special until it is over, that makes it special.”
A characteristic of Cotterill’s team this season has been how resilient they are given the injury problems the team has faced with a small squad.
There have been several players missing for the vast majority of this season, but the players have kept working hard and since the turn of the year they are beginning to get some rewards for that.
“I think we have a real grounded bunch and a grounded manager that does not get carried away with too much,” Cotterill continued.
“There are those similarities when I look around the dressing room and when I walk around the dressing room.
“We have got a really good set of lads, and wherever we go we always get comments.
“Not about how well-behaved they are because they are not children, but you know what it can be like when you get a group of lads together.
“But we always get comments about how humble they are and how polite they are.
“All those things I think they are just as important, and they are good traits to have in life.”
