All Change at Shrews: Shrewsbury Away, EFL Cup 2nd Round, Tue 27th Aug 19:45

[GhostoftheBok]

A (probably) heavily rotated Wanderers will travel to darkest Shropshire for the blessed League Cup.

Bolton nearly won it twice before and this is mostly definitely "our year", as it always is until we get knocked out.

Shrewsbury find themselves bottom of League One, having failed to win any of their 5 fixtures this season inside 90 minutes - including losing to Fulham's U21 side.

Therefore it is clearly a classic "banana skin" and a "tough away fixture" - just getting the excuses in early, as Worthy would wish

This is a game where Evatt will want to get players up to speed, but also see that things are clicking against one of the weaker opponents available to us. We should expect to find a way to make it into Round 3.

"A chance to impress the gaffer", was how Matete phrased it after Charlton. Let us hope they do.

[Worthy4England]

[Bertie Wooster]

I have a question, if Matete isn't fit enough to start against Charlton - what makes him fit enough 4 days later to start against the Shrews (if he is selected)

[GhostoftheBok]

I have a question, if Matete isn't fit enough to start against Charlton - what makes him fit enough 4 days later to start against the Shrews (if he is selected)

Because he didn't do preseason with us and has hardly played in two years, so we are giving him the less important games to get himself right.

Seems very normal.

We're in danger of objecting to stuff just because it's Evatt doing it, now. Matete shouldn't be expected to be 100% yet.

We started two of our best players from last season, rather than the new guy who needs looking after a bit.

[Bertie Wooster]

I have a question, if Matete isn't fit enough to start against Charlton - what makes him fit enough 4 days later to start against the Shrews (if he is selected)

Because he didn't do preseason with us and has hardly played in two years, so we are giving him the less important games to get himself right.

Seems very normal.

We're in danger of objecting to stuff just because it's Evatt doing it, now. Matete shouldn't be expected to be 100% yet.

We started two of our best players from last season, rather than the new guy who needs looking after a bit.

Not objecting just a little curious, he could as easily get injured against Shrewsbury than he could against Charlton due to not being 100% - and it has to be fitness related, as going off the Mansfield cup game he won't learn much about the way we play because our play in that game was all over the place tactically.

[GhostoftheBok]

Not objecting just a little curious, he could as easily get injured against Shrewsbury than he could against Charlton due to not being 100% - and it has to be fitness related, as going off the Mansfield cup game he won't learn much about the way we play because our play in that game was all over the place tactically.

I think we probably expect the cup game to be slightly lower intensity to a Nathan Jones home game.

The players will have learned from Mansfield. Cocking it up is often a good way to learn.

Matete's frame means he's able to coast more easily once he hits his wall. A bigger lad would struggle to do 90 minutes when not fully fit.

We're probably just being very careful with him. It's impossible to know from the outside whether that's too careful or not. The player will always think it is.

Hopefully he plays Shrews off the park and can then say "Oi" to Evatt.

There's a huge amount to like about him.

[Bertie Wooster]

I think we probably expect the cup game to be slightly lower intensity to a Nathan Jones home game.

The players will have learned from Mansfield. Cocking it up is often a good way to learn.

Matete's frame means he's able to coast more easily once he hits his wall. A bigger lad would struggle to do 90 minutes when not fully fit.

We're probably just being very careful with him. It's impossible to know from the outside whether that's too careful or not. The player will always think it is.

Hopefully he plays Shrews off the park and can then say "Oi" to Evatt.

There's a huge amount to like about him.

Fair enough - but if he plays the full 90mins against Shrews then if we are managing his workload & being careful with him, means that its highly unlikely that he starts against Exeter. Then if he starts him v Barrow in the trophy game again its unlikely he then plays / starts against Huddersfield as he probably can't be risked playing 2 games a week - its a vicious circle.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Fair enough - but if he plays the full 90mins against Shrews then if we are managing his workload & being careful with him, means that its highly unlikely that he starts against Exeter. Then if he starts him v Barrow in the trophy game again its unlikely he then plays / starts against Huddersfield as he probably can't be risked playing 2 games a week - its a vicious circle.

Huddersfield's 11 days after Barrow, on the other side of the international break. And while you raise a fair point on 90 minutes, we could sub Matete after an hour - that might be an indication he's caught the gaffer's eye. (But is Exeter the kind of game he'd excel in? A discussion for later.)

Plenty players, who are good enough to in many games in this division, need minutes: Southwood, Forino, Iredale, Osei-Tutu, Matete, Dempsey, Arfield, Williams, and possibly Vic. And of course the lesser-spotted Nlundulu. Not to mention Matheson, unless we wish to not cuptie him.

So you could go Southwood; Toal, Forino, Iredale; Osei-Tutu, Matete, Dempsey, Williams; Arfield, Vic, McAtee.

Will he change the system? It would be a huge surprise with a scratch XI and one day on the grass. Maaaybe tweak back to 3-1-4-2 (but who's the 1 in that XI? Matete?) but anyone expecting a back four might be sorely disappointed.

[GhostoftheBok]

Fair enough - but if he plays the full 90mins against Shrews then if we are managing his workload & being careful with him, means that its highly unlikely that he starts against Exeter. Then if he starts him v Barrow in the trophy game again its unlikely he then plays / starts against Huddersfield as he probably can't be risked playing 2 games a week - its a vicious circle.

Yes on the first. As DSB says, no on the second.

I think it'll be Thommo and Sheehan at home again. Matete will likely get two of the next 3 and then be fully up to speed to be picked (or not) purely on merit thereafter.

Hopefully everyone is then in the same boat and we're on 7 points from 4 and closer to the blessed 2 PPG mark.

Huddersfield then gives us a chance to start reeling teams in.

[Bertie Wooster]

It's fecking madness doing the same thing time and time again if its not working - in this system Thomason & Sheehan isn't working despite some people wanting it to work. Why does it have to be Thomason & Sheehan - it doesn't have to be Matete it could be Dempsey & Thomason against Exeter.

I appreciate that we are speculating (and this is the wrong thread !) and I know some think Sheehan's the next coming because he won an award, but Sheehan's been poor for a while now, back end of last season & the start this season.

[GhostoftheBok]

Sheehan won awards because he's a good player. It's not that people think he's good because he won awards.

The point of mentioning the awards is just to point out that everyone could see it bar an extreme minority of our own fans.

[Prufrock]

They've played 3 games together.

[BWFC_Insane]

Sheehan won awards because he's a good player. It's not that people think he's good because he won awards.

The point of mentioning the awards is just to point out that everyone could see it bar an extreme minority of our own fans.

Doesn’t score enough for a number 10. Can’t cover the ground of a number 8. Has to be carried as a 6 with two in front of him doing all the work. Doesn’t screen the back line or offer any protection.

Moves the ball sideways nicely. As long as he’s not pressed and the opposition don’t physically intimidate him.

I don’t think we will get out of this league with Sheehan as a number 6. If puts too much work on the other midfield players, let alone when the only other player in there is having to do the work for two.

[GhostoftheBok]

Insane, you're offering theories about how football works.

Sheehan has gone out and dominated the vast majority of League One games over a season. He's run rings around other midfields at times, including with lads trying to "physically intimidate" him.

It's footballing flat earthism. It's round in reality, whatever the nutters claim. Equally, Sheehan has just gone out and been a very good League One player.

I'm not pretending there's a debate to be had, or it's a matter of opinion.

[BWFC_Insane]

Insane, you're offering theories about how football works.

Sheehan has gone out and dominated the vast majority of League One games over a season. He's run rings around other midfields at times, including with lads trying to "physically intimidate" him.

It's footballing flat earthism. It's round in reality, whatever the nutters claim. Equally, Sheehan has just gone out and been a very good League One player.

I'm not pretending there's a debate to be had, or it's a matter of opinion.

First half of last season. When players were fresh enough to do the work to compensate for him. And when teams were still often working us out.

Second half of the season it was only when teams got it wrong or weren’t capable of the effective press.

There are too many games where he’s completely nullified. If he’s as good as you say he should be nullifying the other sides midfield.

I think he’s technically very good as a footballer. But I don’t know what role he plays for us that he’s good enough at consistently enough.

[The_Gun]

Pretty depressing that we have zero youngsters to blood in games like this.

[Bertie Wooster]

They've played 3 games together.

Who ? if meaning the team, then 9 of the starting XI have played together since January - if Thomason & Sheehan then they've played together for a lot more than 3 games....just more excuses.

[Prufrock]

It's fecking madness doing the same thing time and time again if its not working - in this system Thomason & Sheehan isn't working despite some people wanting it to work. Why does it have to be Thomason & Sheehan.

They've played 3 games together.

[officer_dibble]

Pretty depressing that we have zero youngsters to blood in games like this.

I suppose we’ve sent the best two on loan. Matheson?

[GhostoftheBok]

Pretty depressing that we have zero youngsters to blood in games like this.

Yes. There are more pressing issues right now, but these kinds of games are always more fun if there's a chance of seeing "The Next Big Thing."

We do not have big things...matron.