Blues boss Paul Jewell was pleased with recent signing Paul Taylor's performance during Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough but felt the 24-year-old may have been trying just a touch too hard. The former Peterborough man was Town’s main threat at the Riverside, hitting a number of dangerous strikes but all too often failed to test Boro keeper Jason Steele.
Jewell said: "I think he’s a terrific player, he’s got good skills, the only thing I would say is, and I’ve said it to him in the dressing room, he didn’t hit the target.
"I think he’s just trying a little bit too hard. He gets in good situations, he’s made chances for himself, but he’s quite not making the goalkeeper work hard enough. I thought it was an excellent performance not just from him but a lot of players.”
Midfielder Guirane N’Daw made his Town debut on Teesside and his manager says he will only improve as he gets more matches under his belt: "He did fine. He’s a big unit, it was his first game for some time and he will get better for playing games.”
Despite conceding twice to Boro, Jewell thought his defence was generally more resolute than in some recent games: "What’s happened is that when we’ve come under a bit of pressure, certainly against Blackpool, we collapsed.
"I thought we stood up to the task at Middlesbrough, we passed the ball well, we created opportunities. I’m bored of saying it myself as much as anything, the only thing missing was goals.”
While Andy Drury’s misplaced pass led to the opening goal, the Blues boss felt that even after surrendering possession the situation might have been retrieved: "It was given away, but one ball given away shouldn’t always lead to a goal.
"It was an open game in the first half. Middlesbrough are a good team with good footballers, but I thought we edged the game and we edged the chances that were created without working the goalkeeper.
"Their second goal was a nonsensical goal from our point of view but we were chasing the game and everyone was up the pitch.
"Fair play to the goalkeeper, he thought quickly [to kick it long to scorer Mustapha Carayol] and the lad stuck it in well. The scoreline wasn’t a true reflection of the game.”
Jewell was at Molineux on Sunday lunchtime to watch Wednesday’s opponents Wolves beat Leicester City 2-1.