[madsteve]

Cup Glory or League Success?

Think we all tend to mix issues in situations like this. As I see it, there are at least three elements to everyone's thinking:

1) Beating Shrewsbury

2) Preserving First Choice Players for League Matches Ahead

3) Maximising Points Against Burnley

So far, we have failed on 1) & succeeded in 2) so the overall strategy's success depends on how we do against Burnley.

CC's team selection was pretty much as expected - a shadow team made up of players that needed a game plus a couple of first choice players. The first half was straightforward. We totally dominated the game without doing much. McGugan & Semedo sat in front of our back four while Matias, Hooper & Sougou rotated around behind Joao. Shrewsbury could hardly get the ball off us as we passed it backwards & forwards across our back four. The only problem was that we weren't creating much up front.

Matias started brightly & Hooper found good positions but weren't found. However, we got lucky when McGugan slung over a free kick and everyone missed it and it nestled in the net. It was almost embarrassing to see some of our players celebrating like it was a cup final winner. We probably should have had a second before half time but we didn't create enough & missed a couple of half chances.

At that point it was going to plan.

However, Shrewsbury upped their game, our midfield disappeared and the match changed course. It was still a bit of a surprise when Shrewsbury equalised as it was their first real chance of the game and we had looked solid defensively up to that point of the game.

Nuhiu replace Hooper which didn't help & Wallace replaced Sougou which did. We went back in front when a poor clearance went to McGugan and his shot deflected in. It should have been over then but our midfield stopped tracking back and our defenders were starting to tire. Lee replaced Matias - strange as we were leading and Bannan's intensity was what we were missing. Two breaks later and we were behind courtesy of a rebound after Price saved a penalty and a bullet header.

The whole of the second half was wrong for me. The players' attitude didn't seem right. Once Hooper left, we had little attacking threat. Sougou was a waste of space, Matias tired, Joao hardly got involved & Nuhiu seemed far more interested in spoiling for a fight. McGugan drifted deeper & deeper so had little attacking influence. Only Wallace's late cameo gave any hope.

Nuhiu was lucky not to get a red card in an off the ball incident after already being on a yellow. Our back four, that had looked so assured in the first half, got shown up for their lack of fitness as our midfield offered no protection.

Price - 6
Palmer - 6
Sasso - 6
Turner - 6
Bennett - 6
Semedo - 5
McGugan - 5
Matias - 5
Hooper - 6
Sougou - 3
Joao - 4
............................
Nuhiu - 4
Wallace - 6
Lee - 5

McGugan will grab a bit of glory for two fortunate goals but for me he showed why he will never be a first choice player if we are looking for promotion. He drops so deep but offers the defence no protection, putting him way behind Hutchinson in that role. He also lacks the intensity of Bannan, which makes it easier for the opposition to dominate the game.

No-one really advanced their claims to a starting role yesterday. Bennett, Turner & Matias can be allowed some rope as they were in need of match fitness but the rest just lessened their claims.

However, had we held on at 2-1, everyone would have said that CC had judged it perfectly.

It moves on to Burnley now & if we win then this game will be quickly forgotten. Presumably only Hooper will start again from that starting eleven and we need to be at our best against a form side.