Enforced break gives Shrewsbury players time off with families
Steve Cotterill used the postponement of Shrewsbury’s game against Peterborough United to give his players time off to see their families and recharge.
When Salop take on Cambridge United on Boxing Day, they will not have played a fixture since December 10.
And the Town boss took advantage of some rare free time in the season to allow his players to go and see family before the busy festive period starts – which will see Town’s squad train on Christmas Day.
“We have got a few lads who have got family dotted around the country,” said the experienced boss. “I thought it was a great opportunity for them to go and see their families because we are in over Christmas.
“They had a couple of extra days off at the beginning of the week which they have earned with a view to what we have got ahead of us.
“We are in all over that period, so it was really good to be able to give them that time to go and see families.
“I think they have all enjoyed themselves and come back with a spring in their step.
“I suppose in a way it’s been nice to not have a game and a break because we haven’t really had one.
“The mental side of it is good.
“I don’t think we’ve done too much differently, even if the game at Peterborough had been on.
“But I think that weekend – as we saw as the day progressed – it was probably good the game was called off when it was.
“Everybody knows it’s tradition – the festive period here, and we understand that.
“And if you are involved in football you have to accept it.
“I bet Dan Udoh and Nursey (George Nurse) would give their right arm to be training on Christmas Day and playing on Boxing Day.
“It is what it is in football – you have got to take the rough with the smooth.
“The fact you are in over Christmas doesn’t make a lot of difference, to be honest.
“We will train earlier on Christmas Day. But other than that, nothing is going to change.”
Cotterill has managed more than 800 games in professional football during his time as a football manager, so he will have seen plenty of Christmas days come and go with his various clubs.
And according to the boss, it is something that comes with the territory of being a football manager and is not something he is overly bothered by.
He said: “I don’t mind. You have a choice, you can either not work or be in work doing it.
“And the thing is, when you are not working, you spend all your time on Christmas Day thinking about what you would have been doing if you had been working.
“So it’s no point in trying to complain.”
