Shrewsbury wide changes an issue for forwards says Steve Cotterill

Town are going through a really tricky spell with injuries – five first-team squad members are out for the foreseeable future.

Wing-back has been one area in particular that has been hard hit with Elliott Bennett, George Nurse and Julien Dacosta missing.

And the Salop boss thinks the constant changing of players out wide has had an impact on the forwards because the service is always different.

He said: “What you have to bear in mind, is sometimes it takes strikers time to know where their wide player is going to cross it.

“I think they are having a few chances.

“I think it’s been the same for all of them.

“We have had five right wing-backs this year.

“We have had three play at left wing-back for us, albeit Josh (Bailey) in a cameo but we’ve had Jordan (Shipley) and George (Nurse).

“So the strikers, perhaps the crosses haven’t been the same from all of those.

“The strikers could be making the right runs, but the team has chopped and changed so much through injuries.

“If you are a striker and you’re looking at our right side – you’re thinking where is Taylor Moore going to cross it?

“That will be different to what Julien Dacosta does, it will be different to what Elliott Bennett has done.

“It will be different to what Carl Winchester and Rekeil Pyke have done.”

It has been a while since a striker last scored for Town.

Ryan Bowman and Christian Saydee scored in Salop’s 2-1 over Burton Albion back in September.

Although Saydee has not scored – he is invaluable to the team with his power and hold-up play.

And Cotterill thinks the goals will come.

He said: “All in all it’s pretty difficult for the strikers – so while a lot gets laid on their door, and I will do that as well at times, that will predominantly be when I think they haven’t made the right decision on a chance they get.

“But that’s the idea of a manager or a coach explaining to them afterwards.

“But I think they will start scoring.”