Manager Previews Tuesday's Trip To Bramall Lane
Manager Micky Mellon believes Sheffield United will provide another good test on Tuesday night to see how see how his Shrewsbury Town side is moving forward.
Town take on the Blades in the Sky Bet League 1 clash at Bramall Lane (7.45pm kick-off) looking to build on the positives in the performance at Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
Nigel Adkins' side sit 11th in the League One table after 18 matches, and Micky feels Town will be in for another big challenge in Yorkshie.
"Everybody knows it's always a difficult place to go," said Micky.
"We know we're going up there to play against one of the bigger and stronger clubs in the division.
"We know from the information, scouting and DVDS it's going to be another tough game.
"Defensively, we've got to be as good as we were on Saturday again, but we know that where we've got to improve is when we get the ball - be that on the counter or in possession - and just believe in ourselves a bit more."
Micky insists Town approach every match with the right mentality and that will be no different heading into the Sheffield United clash, despite the 32,000-seater stadium his side will be performing in.
"Good players go into an environment with the right mentality and the right focus and doing their jobs properly when they cross that white line," said Micky.
"On the occasions that we have gone there and played in those big games this season, that's been what it's all about with the mentality side of things which you've got to be good at all the time.
"You can't just switch on and off. It's a skill and an ability to have a good mentality and we at times not for long enough have had that mentality.
"It's something we're working on and trying to get better at and something I think we're improving at.
"You should be able to want to go to Sheffield United and participate in another massive game of football.
"When I use my own career, if a manager tried to pull me out of a game at Sheffield United on a Tuesday night under the floodlights, I wouldn't have been very happy.
"That's the way that I'll look at Tuesday night's game."
Defender Mat Sadler will be suspended for the match having picking up five yellow cards this season, while Nathaniel Knight-Percival was out with a knee injury for the Wigan match.
Goalkeeper Mark Halstead is also working his way back to fitness.
Midfielder Ian Black came off with a dead leg in the 1-0 defeat at Wigan on Saturday, but Micky hopes he will be back for Tuesday's game.
"Black had to come off with a dead leg. We're hoping so (that he is back for Tuesday)," he said.
"He got a dead leg in a tackle about 25-30 minutes into the first half.
"We're watching him closely and the intensity was getting less and less, he was just trying to get through it because he's got a massive heart.
"He's that type that will try to get on with it and get through it.
"He's not trained on Monday morning, he was actually at a funeral up in Scotland.
"But he's sent a message back that he believes there's a big improvement in the injury and that he wants to get back in 24 hours.
"We'll give him every chance to make sure he's available."
"He's had a scan and there's nothing showed up in the scan so it might just be wear and tear in that knee injury.
On Knight-Percvial, Micky said:
"He's that type of guy that wants to keep going but he's honest. Before the Wigan game he said 'I'll let the team down, I'm not 100 percent right, I probably need the specialist to have a look at my knee.
"He's probably two months short of where we could say he's totally the other side of a really serious knee injury.
"We have probably worked him harder than we would have liked because we need him.
"I thank him for that and the specialist has looked at it and said he's alright and to just be careful and look for the signs and symptons and nurse him through."