Steve Cotterill praises Shrewsbury players for willingness to learn tactical tweaks
Steve Cotterill says Shrewsbury adapt well to personnel and formation changes during games due to practice on the training ground and his players' willingness to learn.
During Town's victory over MK Dons last weekend, Matthew Pennington picked up a groin injury in the first half, and with the absence of Tom Flanagan through suspension, his side had to adapt.
Rob Street replaced the injured Pennington to play in a front two with Christian Saydee, which meant Rekeil Pyke switched to right wingback, Elliot Bennett shifted to a central midfield role and Luke Leahy dropped into the back three.
And the Salop boss says it comes from hours on the training pitch and allowing them to explore different positions.
"I don’t want to say the adjustments were seamless – but it did feel a little bit that way," Cotterill said about the personnel changes.
"A lot that comes from practice on the training ground and then of course playing them in matches.
"You can practice all you like but if you aren’t experimental or bold enough you are never going to find out.
"There were a couple of occasions in pre-season I found out about a few things.
"I think you are always learning – that's the way I try and approach it.
"We had a meeting on the touchline, tactically, about something that was going on in the game.
"We ended up putting a total block on something they were trying to do to us – which was great.
"But the good thing about it was the lads were saying ‘I can go here and he can do this.’
"That was brilliant. They were coming up with suggestions so they need to take a lot of the credit for how they dealt with that."
In most of the games this season, Cotterill has operated with a back five.
On some occasions, like when they were chasing three points against Wycombe and away at Forest Green, he has switched to a back four.
And he believes they do this well because of the work they do in the classroom, and by encouraging them to speak up in team meetings.
He said: "A lot of time when you speak to groups of lads, they don’t want to talk for the fear of being wrong in front of their teammates.
"And that can happen because they might only have one picture in their head.
"But we open up, we get them to look at scenarios and ask them what can happen. We do that a lot in our team meetings.
"We look at what we should have done, what the opposition may have done wrong that we can capitalise on.
"We are very open like that, and I think that’s good because you have got to learn about the game.
"And the good thing about it is they like it, I do think players want to be coached. I do think they want to learn.
"They are a good group to work with on the training ground, and they are a good group to work with when you are in the classroom with them."
