Steve Cotterill aiming to help Shrewsbury loan strikers kick on in careers
Steve Cotterill aims to help improve Shrewsbury’s loan strikers during their spell at the Meadow – and he hopes they kick on when they eventually leave.
Christian Saydee and Rob Street have both played big roles in Town’s season after they arrived from their respective Premier League clubs on loan at the start of the Campaign.
Saydee joined from Bournemouth and Street from Crystal Palace on deadline day, and the Town boss is pleased with the impact they are having, he hopes they will use their experience with Shrews to their advantage further down the line.
“As I have said before, Christian has come in here and done very, very, well for us,” the boss explained.
“We’re really pleased to have him and hopefully somewhere down the line, he goes onto bigger and better things. “The same goes for Rob Street as well.
“It’s not just Christian – they are both young boys who have come on loan to us.
“And we just hope they go on from us and have a good career – that’s what you want. You want to be part of the journey for them.
“They have done really, really, well for us.
“I’m demanding with them. I think they accept that. They might not always like the demands but I think when the demands are met if they satisfy me they will satisfy themselves that’s for sure.
“And I think at the end of it they will become better players.
“You need to be strong with young players when you are bringing them through. You have to educate them. And I don’t just mean being tough with them, sometimes it’s a bit of tough love.
“You have to make sure you strike the right balance. They also get a lot of credit from me as well.
“And even if they haven’t played a good game – you’ve never heard me come out here and throw any of them under the bus. That is not my school of thought.”
Saydee has scored six goals so far during his time in Shropshire, and he has four in his last five League One games, and the boss thinks he understands the game well.
He said: “I think his understanding of the game when he first came in was good anyway.
“Obviously, he has been in and around the lads at Bournemouth so they are no mugs – the boys he was training with day in, day out.
“I think that he has had a good schooling down there.
“He has had a couple of loans. His last loan at Burton Albion, enough gets made of it that he didn’t score for them but he’s started scoring for us.”Sometimes, though, that can just be luck.”
