Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill is relaxed about the reception he’s likely to receive at the Mem on Saturday as the former Bristol City boss returns to the city he’s called home for nearly a decade.
The presence of Cotterill on the touchline will add to a likely vibrant atmosphere in BS7 with Bristol Rovers’ ground restored to full capacity following the lifting of restrictions by the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
Cotterill spent two-and-half mainly successful seasons with Rovers’ rivals City, leading the Robins to promotion and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2015, and remains a revered figure in south Bristol as arguably their most popular manager of the last 30 years.
The 58-year-old still owns a property in the centre of the city and is looking forward to being back in this part of the West Country, albeit with the noise inside the Mem from 3-5pm unlikely to be particularly welcoming.
“There’s an atmosphere wherever we go,” Cotterill said. “That’s what the game is all about. I’m not worried about it if there’s an atmosphere, I’m pretty relaxed about it. It should be a good game and we’re looking forward to it.
“We’ve still got a home there. It’s a fantastic city and I’ve been there now for eight years. We enjoy living there. I’ll be looking forward to going back and might even get a night in my own bed!
“Whenever you play a newly promoted team they always have something about them which is why they got promoted in the first place. We had tough games last year against Morecambe, Cheltenham and Cambridge and it'll be another tough game on Saturday, for sure."
The Shrews have begun the season with a win, two draws and two defeats, and were beaten 3-0 by leaders Ipswich Town last weekend but amidst that mixed start have beaten Wycombe Wanderers and drawn with Derby County.
Cotterill is expected to line up in a 3-4-3 formation which could feature former Gas left-back Luke Leahy and on-loan Bristol City defender Taylor Moore in central midfield. Moore, who has been converted from centre-back into a holding player, knows all about the rivalry between red and blue and white, having joined City as a teenager in 2016.
"I am from the area, I have been in and out of Bristol for six or seven years now. I know Bristol Rovers really well,” Moore said. "They are a newly promoted team and it’s always really difficult to go to sides that have just come up.
"They have got a lot of ambition but we have to go there and expect to take three points as we would any game.
"I think the rivalry (between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers) is a lot bigger than a lot of people realise. But I’m just seeing it as another game for Shrewsbury. I’m just thinking about how I can impact the game and help us come away with three points."
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