JOHN Coleman believes Stanley’s weekend opponents Shrewsbury Town will pose his side plenty of problems despite a slow start to the season.

The Shrews have won just once this term and are outside the bottom four only on goal difference. But John Askey’s side have a league-high six draws from 11 games and head into tomorrow’s game with just one defeat in five.

Shrewsbury, under the guidance of now Ipswich boss Paul Hurst, were the League One surprise package last season as they finished third, missing out on promotion after a Wembley play-off final defeat to Rotherham United.

They are yet to find their feet this year while Accrington, in contrast, are fifth having not lost in the league since the opening day.

But Coleman is wary of the threat facing his in-form side.

“It hasn’t changed overnight,” the Reds boss said of Shrewsbury. “They have still got good players and they are still capable of winning games at this level.

“People will expect us to win because we have done alright this season but that is not the case, expectations shouldn’t have a bearing on how you play and it won’t have a bearing on us.

“We are expecting Saturday to be as tough a game as we have had this season. I don’t necessarily think they are struggling. I think it is too early in the season to say whether teams are doing well or struggling at the moment.

“They have played some good football, I have watched quite a few of their games. They will be a handful for most teams in this league.

“John Askey is a good manager, he did ever so well with Macclesfield, he annoyed me a little bit as a player because he kept me out of the Macclesfield team, but he is a good manager. He knows what he is doing, it wasn’t just a flash in the pan with Macclesfield, he has done well consistently for a number of years.”

Coleman will come up against two of his former charges in Shropshire this weekend with Shaun Whalley and Omar Beckles facing their old club.

“We had first hand exposure to Shaun Whalley,” said Coleman who had the midfielder at Stanley in the 2006-07 campaign. “I like to think we played a part in what he is now which is a very, very good league footballer.

“His form has not surprised me at all. I tried to bring him back a couple of years ago. He is a very, very good footballer and he has settled down a little bit. When he was with us he was a young kid and a bit of a hot head and he didn’t live his life right by his own admission off the pitch.

“But he has calmed down, he has a young family now and I think he has matured.

“They have other good players apart from him, we had Omar (Beckles) as well here.

“Shrewsbury will be a handful. We have been doing our preparation and we know it will be a tough game. We just have to hope we can reach the levels that we have done in certain games this season.”