Dave Edwards: Left-flank trio building a real Shrewsbury Town understanding
Steve Cotterill will be really pleased with how the partnerships on the left side of his Shrewsbury team are developing.
The trio of Nathanael Ogbeta, George Nurse and Luke Leahy impressed me no end in Sunday’s FA Cup win at Stratford Town.
It’s easy to look at the opposition and say we should win 5-1 but you can only beat what’s in front of you.
There’s a little bit of momentum building now and it was a really good second half. I believe the key to it was that left-hand side.
George Nurse and Natty Ogbeta were brilliant, and Luke Leahy naturally drifts over from central midfield. I thought the combination play between those three, constantly with triangles and angles within each other, was excellent.
They moved the ball really well and were clever with their movement. They were a constant thorn in the Stratford side.
They made the possession count, getting Natty in down the side, and George Nurse drives forward with the ball really well. You can start to see form coming from a team playing more regularly, those three look really comfortable.
The manager can build his team and the way they attack around that left flank. It is crazy there are three left-backs in the side – and neither playing at left-back!
It’s been a criticism from fans, talking about over-loading in one position and being light in midfield and right-back, and maybe centre-half, but the players have proved if you perform well
regularly you’ll get in the side.
Luke wouldn’t have come here to be a centre midfielder, but he looks like he’s becoming one. He’s got the attributes to do it. I know it’s been needs-must, but he’s been a shining light of the season after a little bit of a difficult start.
I always felt George Nurse was unlucky not to be in the team, it’s tough with Aaron Pierre there who has been so good over the last few years, but George is undroppable at the moment.
Natty finally looked back to his best. He’s probably the best left-back or wing-back in the league on his day, we saw that last year and there are signs again now.
It’s going to take games and repetitions but if we can get him flying it’ll be a massive plus.
Dan Udoh brought his ridiculously good work rate and enthusiasm to the Cup tie, regardless of the type of game he’s having personally. He’s looked more and more confident in recent weeks and I’ve always said it’s hugely important for Dan to feel wanted and loved.
He’s at a stage now where the goals aren’t quite there but everything else is. His movement was excellent again, when you think he’s come from a similar level to Stratford’s, they just couldn’t live with his power or work rate.
Dan didn’t change on Sunday, he was all-action. He’s striking up a really good partnership with Ryan Bowman and I hope it can continue.
Bowman continues to show he’s the one to get on the end of things, sniff out chances between the posts when really good balls in arrive. He gets half a yard off the shoulder.
Harry Burgoyne has been waiting patiently for his chance in goal and I was as gutted as anyone seeing the first goal go in. H would’ve known he could do better – but with goalkeepers more than any other position, you need to be playing regularly.
You’d see at times last year when he came in there’d be the odd error, but as he played more games on the bounce he was excellent. It’s getting used to what’s in front of you, you just can’t replicate it in training.
It was a horrible moment to go 1-0 down, I was disappointed with the needless free-kick given away. You thought ‘here we go again’, I had memories of Histon and Blyth flooding back. But the team responded well and the quality shone through.
We have a final group tie in the EFL Trophy at Wigan tomorrow night and then a break from league action due to Rotherham’s internationals.
It’ll be a chance to get some of the niggles back fit and Covid stuff out of the way. I’m sure Steve would’ve still wanted the game on Saturday.
The team have done well recently. They got the win over MK Dons, disappointed against Oxford, then the big win against Cambridge, the draw at Lincoln and now the win on Sunday, there is some momentum, they are scoring more goals – they have 10 in three games now.
I’m sure the manager would’ve liked the game, but it gives him time to get bodies back and work on preparation moving forward. In League One very rarely do you get that time to really work in-depth on things.
