Shrewsbury Town boss Steve Cotterill happy with deals but not the transfer rules
Steve Cotterill is happy with the business Shrewsbury Town did over the summer – although he would like to see fewer restrictions with transfers.
Town concluded their business by completing three loan deals on deadline day, with young forwards Rob Street and Christian Saydee arriving from Crystal Palace and Bournemouth respectively while midfielder Carl Winchester was brought in from Sunderland.
Reflecting on a busy final day and the transfer window as a whole, Cotterill said: “It wasn’t just a busy day, it takes a long time for things to drop.
“It ends up being busy because there is a lot that needs to be done on the last day. There is quite a bit that goes into transfers. It’s been a busy period all-round.
“I have to say this, the people who put these windows in – they can put the rules in but they don’t have to abide by them. They are poor rules, really.
“I understand at the top level we need the Premier League to fall in line with the French league, the Spanish league. I get all of that.
“But to not have loans continue – and have these loan windows – all it does is put players, managers and chairman up and down the country under stress and duress that nobody needs to be under.
“I think there are lots of rules in football that have changed for the good of the game. But I don’t think that helps anybody.
“What happens is the richer clubs can stockpile and then everybody has to fight around for the rest and undercut people.
“There’s so much ducking and diving that goes on and it’s poor, really. It shouldn’t be like that and it doesn’t need to be like that.
“But going back to ourselves, we are happy with the business we ended up doing throughout the whole of the window.
“It’s been difficult, but we are happy with the business we have done.”
Attackers Street and Saydee boost the attack in the wake of Daniel Udoh’s ACL injury.
Winchester, meanwhile, helped Sunderland to promotion from League One last season and Cotterill is a long-term admirer of the 29-year-old.
Cotterill said on Street and Saydee: “They are young, energetic, will work hard, they want to learn, they are competitive – you won’t get an easy game against them – and they just want to do well.
“They are fit, and they fit within our budget.
“I think in the early parts of their career they have gone and done the hard yards. They are going out on their second loans which is better.
“They are two cracking young lads, they really, really, are. They are brilliant lads and we are looking forward to working with them.”
Cotterill added on Winchester: “I have known Carl for a long time.
“There were a couple of midfield options that we were discussing but once Carl became available – 100 per cent I wanted him. That was a real bonus for us.”
