Micky Mellon looks ahead to the closing of the Transfer Window
Micky Mellon admitted he is happy with his squad with just under a week to go before the transfer window closes.Town currently have three players out on loan and with Richie Wellens leaving the club yesterday, Micky believes the squad is in a good shape.
“I think that takes us to 20 players, 21 players, including goalkeepers,” Micky told ShrewsWeb.
“So, that’s a number I feel secure in knowing will have to get me to Christmas, January time. So, if I can keep all them fit, keep them all interested by using them, then we should have a good go at things and a group that is fully motivated to win games for the club.
“I know that will be pretty much us because we need that volume of bodies to be able to get us through.
“Look at the amount of matches that we’ve just had. Anybody who believes you can go with the same 11 week in week out, is very mistaken about football. I think those days are gone, where you can do that volume of games with the same group.
“I think I would still have the ability to bring something in if I believed that it was going to improve us, but you’ve got to be careful now that you’re not stockpiling players.
“I like the numbers I’ve got. I might be short in certain areas, but I’ve got an idea of who would go into cover if those players got injured or suspended.”
Dom Smith went out on loan last week, leaving Town with just three senior centre backs, but the Gaffer believes he has enough to cope.
“We’ve got El-Abd on four bookings, the way he plays we have to monitor that one, so we have to have cover for that one,” said Micky.
“All the time you’re looking at the group and making sure you are okay. You can’t keep them all happy and I can’t keep them all playing.
“With hindsight maybe it would be a lot easier, but we don’t have the benefit of that. But, if the past is anything to go by, three experienced centre backs should do.
“You can’t just keep four, five, six centre backs just because you believe what might happen. First of all I don’t have the money to have five or six centre backs, and how do you keep them all happy? You can’t do it.
“They all want to play. So, you’ve got to bear that in mind when you’ve got a squad of players and that’s why, when I can, I use them.”