Bernard McNally: It’s time for Sam Ricketts to change his tactics at Shrewsbury Town
We are 14th in the league, we are OK, we are going to be safe this year....but to move forward and really start creating more goalscoring opportunities, maybe the shape we have needs to be tweaked.
There is a little bit of a goal shortage at this moment in time, but I think there is enough ability in the side.
It could just be a slight change in system that might help us and get us moving forward.
Sam Ricketts is his own boss of course, but there are a number of things where I am unsure of what he is trying to do.
Especially with regards to Shaun Whalley.
He is probably our most creative, attacking player. I find it difficult to see why he is on the bench. Like the fans, I find it frustrating.
As a pundit you can only say what you see, especially if there are a lack of opportunities until Whalley comes on.
When the young lad Ryan Giles pushes forward, we get a new and exciting dimension that I think could be very productive.
It might be one of those that we need to change from 3-5-2 to a back four, midfield five and one up front.
But certainly having two wide players of that ability with great trickery in their feet could be very productive for us.
That is me looking at it from my ivory tower, I think sometimes football can be made too complicated by managers and coaches.
I know, having managed and coached before, you sometimes need to take a step back and look at it.
Maybe there is a simpler approach – because we are not creating enough opportunities at the moment.
Jason Cummings is a goalscorer. He is recognised for scoring goals, but you have got to provide and put balls in the box for him.
When Shaun whipped in that one terrific ball on Tuesday night and it went right in the six-yard box, Dave Edwards could not connect with it properly.
Cummings is the sort of player you want on the end of that.
Whoever you play as strikers they have to have opportunities in the box with a midfield producing opportunities for them.
I’m sure then once we start scoring goals and find a shape that suits us in every department, not just defensively, I think there is enough ability in this side to go and be creative, entertaining, score goals and win games.
Goals do change games and we just need something now.
I think this weekend will be a massive test. Sunderland won 5-0 on Tuesday and I think it is vital you play your most experienced players.
Whenever I have spoken to managers they say for big games you need big players – experienced players.
Hopefully that is what we will see this weekend, and an exciting game.
Maybe by using the wings we can get at them and cause them problems – fingers crossed.
