Steve Cotterill seeks to help out Shrewsbury Town academy youngsters
Steve Cotterill has worked with some of Shrewsbury Town’s academy to help the youngsters learn from their mistakes.
The Town boss was present at Montgomery Waters Meadow as Town’s under-18 fell at the first hurdle in their FA Youth Cup campaign at the beginning of the month, as visitors Scunthorpe prevailed 1-0.
The following day, some of the teenagers involved that night were invited to Sundorne Castle where, after leading the senior team, Cotterill worked the youngsters on throw-in routines, involving some first-team players.
With academy director and first-team coach David Longwell helping to bridge the gap, academy coaches are regularly at Town’s senior HQ, watching Cotterill’s coaching methods in a bid to mirror the senior teams’ playing styles.
“I was disappointed for them, spoke to the coaches and staff afterwards to try to cheer them up a little bit because it was a big game for them,” Cotterill said as the Iron youngsters struck early to seal progression.
“They quite often come down here and watch what the first team do, Dave Longwell wanted that to happen, of course that was OK.
“They try to copy a few things we do. And the reason they were here in training just now was because they tried to copy what we do but got it completely wrong. It was like they didn’t quite get it.
“We spent a little time doing that with them, certainly the ones I worked with this morning, I think they’ll get it now.
“What I could do with is a day coaching with the youth team, unfortunately it’s really hard to find that day, but let’s see how we get on.”
The defeat was a rare reverse for Town’s under-18s, who have started the season in fine form. Shrews, who play their home games at the Sports Village, have lost just two of their first eight games – including a 3-2 reverse at Blackpool last weekend from two goals up – in the EFL Youth North West Alliance. They are on the coattails of the front-runners after previously only going down to leaders Carlisle.
Early second-half goals from forwards Jenson Cooper and Louis Lloyd put Town 2-0 up at the Seasiders, who fought back in style. Lloyd has netted at senior level in the EFL Trophy this term, while Tom Bloxham is an ever-present in Town’s League One squad. Charlie Caton is also heavily involved, as is goalkeeper Jaden Bevan and full-back Callum Wilson, who has made two starts in the Trophy, including at Wigan last week.
Town’s under-18s are at home to Bolton on Saturday for an 11am kick-off at Shrewsbury Sports Village.
Cotterill said: “It’s strange really, when the youth team players get to go out on the pitch for the first time and there’s a bit of a crowd there.
“Scunthorpe players turn up and think ‘this is nice, we can have a good game of football here’. There isn’t really any pressure on them.
“Yet our boys turn up with their parents in the stand, their uncles and aunties, the pressure comes on them, they are at home with fans behind them.
“When you give away a goal like we did, it was almost a carbon copy of what happened to the first team. They’ve gone a goal down and they wasted the first half like we’ve done in games.
“All of a sudden it’s 1-0 down and like ‘this wasn’t meant to happen’. They’ve spent 35 minutes in denial a little.
“The second half was much better, with 20 or 25 minutes to go we changed shape and were much better. In the last five or 10 we played well enough to win, hit the bar, the post on the follow-up, a couple more opportunities, we should’ve scored.”
