Shrewsbury midfielder delivers simple message amid tough run
Midfielder Alex Gilliead is remaining calm about Shrewsbury Town’s current form insisting it can change ‘overnight’.
It is still early days in the League One campaign, but Town sit second bottom after seven matches in which they have lost six.
The picture is a difficult one for Paul Hurst and his coaching staff, but the experienced Gilliead, who joined from Bradford in the final days of the summer transfer window, says they must not get carried away with their position in the table.
“Not this early,” he said when asked if he looks at it. “When I was younger I did used to. I used to get carried away thinking if these beat these and you beat them, then you could end up here.
“But what I have learnt most over my career is it can change overnight, and I mean that one result can catapult people anywhere or you can drop down.
“So it is important not to get too carried away, the time to start getting carried away is 39 or 40 games that is when you start to look at it. But at the minute, it is just one of them where two wins can change your whole season around.”
Despite Town’s poor form so far this campaign they have had competition for places within the matchday XI and the 18-man squad Hurst has to select each week.
Two weeks ago Aaron Pierre and George Nurse missed out whereas last weekend Joe Young was not on the bench.
And while admitting it is not nice to be left out of the squad, Gilliead says it does have its benefits.
“It is not ideal,” he continued. “I have had it more recently when I was at Bradford – I was left out of the squads and it is not nice.
“We have got a good group here, and everyone wants to play, which is a good thing. There is no one sulking or anything like that.
“It is part and parcel of the game, but also if people want to get your shirt and want to take your shirt, it is good healthy competition so like I said it is part and parcel, but it is kind of needed as well.
“I think when you have got two XIs, or around that number, training and there are two people for every position that could play.
“It is a good group of players and it is good quality and standard of training so I think it can only be good for everyone and as long it is healthy.”
