Steve Cotterill: A week too far for tired Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury Town boss Steve Cotterill believes the injuries in his squad may have caught up with them over the Christmas period.
Salop have barely changed their team over the last two months, partly due to the excellent form they showed at the start of December, but also because they have not had the personnel to make changes due to the injuries they have been dealt with this season.
Yesterday, Town lost 3-0 at home to Fleetwood, and in the opening 20 minutes of the game, Cotterill’s side looked tired after playing three times in seven days over the festive period.
The period has been really challenging for Cotterill and Town losing all three games, and seeing a man get sent off in each clash, and the boss said the injuries in the squad may have caught up with them.
He said: “It’s been a really tough Christmas period for us.
“I think the boys that have been going out there for nigh on four or five months – the same players.
“It looked like this week was a bit too much for them.”
Town were in great form leading up to the period, with great wins against Peterborough, Bolton and Lincoln at home.
But at that stage Shrews were playing just once a week, giving the players enough chance to recover between games.
And over the festive period, the games come around so thick and fast and the boss feels it can make life harder.
“We’re not so bad when we go Saturday to Saturday with so few bodies,” he continued.
“But even when you’ve got the bodies back you know, how long is it going to take Aiden O’Brien or Julien Dacosta to get fit (match fit).”
Tom Flanagan went off early into the game after picking up a knock, to creating another injury concern, but he was replaced by Elliott Bennett.
The wing-back had been out injured since early November when he picked up a calf injury in the draw against Oxford at the Meadow.
But he managed to get more than 72 minutes under his belt in this one which will help him and the team going forward.
Cotterill said: “I thought Elliott Bennett manfully did what he had to do.
“He’s not quite ready to be at the standard he was before the injury.
“It was a tough afternoon for all the boys really.”
