Steve Cotterill: No midweek games a bonus for Shrewsbury
Steve Cotterill has described several weeks without a midweek fixture as a ‘right bonus’ – with the Salop boss able to spend more time on the training ground with his players.
So far this season most EFL clubs have had a relentless schedule, with games scheduled every Tuesday. However, they do not have a midweek fixture in the league until the end of the month.
And Salop boss Cotterill believes the free midweeks are good for giving the players a physical and mental rest.
He explained: “It is a right bonus.
“It is not just physical with football, there is a mental headspace too that gets occupied as well.
“And if you are not in it, or in the bubble and working in it you didn’t actually quite know or understand.
“Sometimes the fact of having more training is better than game after game after game.
“If a team is having a tough time of it and you have another game coming up, you come out and straight into another and don’t know what you’re going to do in that game.
“You go into the next game and don’t do well, and if you have not got a huge squad you can’t leave players out and put someone with equal ability in. So it is nice to have a clear week, but I know that will ramp up soon.”
Tom Flanagan also believes there are benefits to a quiet schedule.
He said: “With where we are at, Saturday games are very welcome speaking on my behalf.
“If you are winning on a Saturday and roll into Tuesday then Saturday it can go the other way. But Saturday to Saturday is good in the respect of more time on the training pitch. I’m not in love with training, but for drilling us how we want to play against a team is really important, and you don’t get that chance going Saturday to Tuesday.”
