Analysis: Nothing to show for Shrewsbury Town as waiting game goes on

While Salop may have counted themselves unfortunate to not force an equaliser against Burton seven days prior, they had zero complaints about leaving their first trip to Morecambe in more than six years empty handed.

What a shame for the 471 travelling Salopians who had made the arduous trip up the sluggish M6 to back their side on the road for the first time in 18 months.

Manager Cotterill, overseeing his first Town game away from the Meadow in front of fans, was left disappointed with how his team operated and the manner of the goals they conceded.

The damage was done early on as Town fell behind for the third time in their opening three games. The visitors actually started the game well enough and there was little in the contest until Nathanael Ogbeta, whose midfield experiment is struggling to get off the ground, clumsily brought Cole Stockton to the ground for a certain penalty. Cotterill called it ‘stupid’ and was suitably unimpressed.

The hosts got a little fortunate in profiting from a favourable deflection from a corner for their second, but David Davis’ blind pass was picked off in the build up.

Two-nil should not have been an unassailable scoreline – Town proved so last Tuesday in the Carabao Cup – but on this occasion it was more than enough for Stephen Robinson’s newly-promoted Shrimps, playing their first home game in a year-and-a-half and their first ever home clash in the third tier. Their fans certainly enjoyed the occasion.

Less could be said for the travelling Town fans at the other end of the stadium who, to their credit, remained loud and proud all afternoon and deservedly shared an applause with the players at full-time.

As Cotterill admitted, Morecambe were already riding a wave on a boisterous afternoon where they hardly needed a leg up in the game, which is exactly what Ogbeta’s foul after half hour provided.

In all, Salop’s passing was badly off, as were other factors. Cotterill said post-match his side need to ‘tough up’.

Still, the defending and the fact that Town’s only effort on target was Matt Pennington’s late header were not the chief concerns from those coming away from Mazuma Stadium at 5pm.

Instead, the issue puzzling and concerning Salop fans most is the lack of depths in the club’s ranks.

When the team news arrived at 2pm it showed a substitute bench featuring just six players, one fewer than the permitted allowance.

Further examination revealed among the six were two goalkeepers in Harry Burgoyne and Cameron Gregory and two teenage academy strikers in Charlie Caton, 18, and Tom Bloxham, 17.

Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s Covid-19-related absence had already been stomached but the news Shaun Whalley (hand) and Ryan Bowman (hamstring) were unavailable left Cotterill’s options from thin to threadbare.

Midweek signing Sam Cosgrove, the loan striker from Birmingham City handed the vacant No.9 shirt, had to make do with a place on the bench as he gets him up to speed. He was quickly introduced at half-time for Ogbeta, who struggled in midfield but was not alone.

Fans are struggling to see why the manager allowed the season to start so light on numbers. Some feel the club and squad is under-prepared for a league campaign that has started with back-to-back defeats.

Cotterill’s stance on the matter has been consistent. He has called for patience, which he is having to show himself in the pursuit of the talented acquisitions he is attempting to recruit.

Some have argued it’s a bold strategy, a gamble, a risk. Some fans have taken it to the extreme in suggesting the club ‘wipe off August’ while the squad isn’t ready.

The manager’s recruitment so far – and eight players have arrived, which isn’t an insignificant number – has been impressive and almost all new signings have caught the eye already.

That does not mean the squad is not light. It is clearly light and, certainly with the three unavailable, is being highlighted and leaving the boss little go-to from the bench.

Cotterill’s achievements with Town already have earned him the trust and confidence to deliver what he hopes and promises.

Surely the Salop faithful are more concerned with how their squad looks for the entirety of the campaign than the opening couple of weeks? How often have we seen a squad jam-packed of below-par players which the club have been stuck with all season?

Cotterill could’ve filled numbers in easily should he chosen to. It could pay to wait, but it is a bold call as rivals make hay and open up a gap early on.