Michael Appleton discusses Shrewsbury Town's "baby steps" as the Salop chief issues new players with challenges.

 

After a terrible start to the season, Michael Appleton maintains that his team is taking "baby steps" and has pushed his players to duplicate their EFL Trophy performance in the league.

Following an opening-day draw, Salop has now dropped five straight games in all competitions. On Saturday, they fell in the league due to a last-minute goal at Swindon.

 However, they got a welcome boost on Tuesday night as they defeated Chelsea U21s 3-1 with to goals from Tommy McDermott, John Marquis, and Will Boyle in the EFL Trophy.

Appleton admitted that while performances have shown encouraging signs, there remains much room for improvement. He stressed that the team must not get carried away with small victories but instead use them as a foundation for consistent growth.

“I’ve spoken a lot about baby steps,” Appleton said. “It’s about gradually building confidence and momentum. The players have shown glimpses of what they can do, but now the challenge is to maintain those levels week in, week out.”

The Salop chief also emphasised the importance of discipline, resilience and togetherness, highlighting that the squad must dig deep during difficult moments. Appleton’s message was clear: Shrewsbury must take pride in progress but stay hungry for more, with the manager challenging his players to turn potential into results.

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