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Cook: We’ve Had No Choice With Some of Our Selections
Friday, 20th Aug 2021 11:11

Blues manager Paul Cook says he’s been left with little choice but to play Scott Fraser in wide roles given the fitness situation at the club in the opening weeks of the season.

When Fraser joined the Blues in the summer, most fans anticipated the Scot to playing in the number 10 role he usually occupied when he was with tomorrow's opponents the MK Dons last season.

However, so far the 26-year-old has operated on the left and the right with Cook having picked a second striker - Louie Barry at Burton and Macauley Bonne at Cheltenham - in addition to Joe Pigott, who has started all three league games, rather than an out-and-out number 10.

Asked what he believes Fraser’s best position is, Cook said: “If you look at preferred formations, I’ve always been 4-2-3-1. If you look at the fact of Wes Burns being out injured, Sone Aluko’s been out injured, Kyle Edwards hasn’t been fit, the reality is that I’ve had no choices in the decisions I’m making unfortunately.

“If Scott doesn’t play wide, the reality is, we haven’t got, since Conor Chaplin got injured, a number 10. We haven’t had Wes Burns and Sone Aluko and Kyle Edwards wasn’t in the building, so we’ve had no choice with some of our selections.

“It’s like I say to everyone. It’s not me appealing for time, I’m not that type of person, I’m not that type of manager. I just want to get to a point where we’ve got everyone fit and available and we can put formations of players in squads that we probably brought them in to play. But unfortunately we haven’t been able to do that yet.”
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Quizzed on whether he can field central midfield trio Lee Evans, Rekeem Harper and his 16th signing of the summer Tom Carroll in the same team, Cook added: “It’s just football debates. Games have taken certain formats. If you’d asked me on 60 minutes would we lose at Cheltenham, I couldn’t see it happening.

“We were then looking at making substitutes to keep control of the game and score more goals, we want to score more goals.

“Unfortunately for us, Cheltenham defended very well, very deep in large numbers and caught us out with sucker punches that are very, very hard to deal with. Long throws underneath your bar. It’s tough and not as easy as people think.

“For us, we just go away, we lick our wounds, we work harder and we come back better. That’ll always happen under me at this club.”


Photo: Matchday Images



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bedsitfc added 11:20 - Aug 20
“It's like I say to everyone. It's not me appealing for time, I'm not that type of person, I'm not that type of manager”

2 days ago you were saying we need time to gel!?!?!?

Mr contradiction
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Chrisd added 11:20 - Aug 20
In some positions yes, but in others no. PC seems to be selecting some based on that they can do a job rather than playing players in their natural positions. For example, Fraser is going to have far more influence on a game in that No.10 role rather than being stuck out wide.
4

Bluearmy71 added 11:34 - Aug 20
@bedsitfc

Its not a contradiction at all, its a fact the team needs time to gel, a fact that all of us should be if not aware of!

He speaks of himself as the manager and not the team of players when saying that he isn't asking "for time" his desire to be able to play the players he wants to in their right positions and that is undoubtedly any managers desire but given the nature of the game, that as proven time and time again isn't as straight forward as it would seem for any manager!
14

Stato added 11:40 - Aug 20
Fraser very quiet against Cheltenham but no surprise given he was asked to play wide. Evans didn't have the best of games and lucky not to get sent off. Bonne could of done much better with the goals we conceded and only he knows why he didn't head that ball for the missed chance. Edwards was outstanding in the first half then saw little of the ball in the 2nd half which Cook should surely have done something about during the game. It also looked like we hadn't trained to defend long throws and by the final whistle that looked like the biggest mistake of all. Has anyone heard Cook interviewed on the long throw prep and confirm if it was trained for ?
0

BlueBlood90 added 11:54 - Aug 20
I'm fully behind Paul Cook and agree the squad needs time to gel and grow but I don't agree with him blaming injuries for playing Fraser on the wing.

Why did Fraser start left wing against Morecambe when Chaplin was fit and played in Fraser's no.10 position? That clearly wasn't down to injuries.

We also have players like Armando Dobra and Louie Barry who can play more naturally out wide who could be used to accommodate Fraser playing centrally. If he's our main man for creating chances then you have to play him where he's most effective and sacrifice someone else in the squad in my opinion.
9

bedsitfc added 12:10 - Aug 20
@bluearmy71

From day 1 he said what people want to hear he is just like a politician all talk!

He made the decision to change the whole squad (rightly or wrongly) so he can't now ask for time, he has to take responsibility!
-6

bedsitfc added 12:12 - Aug 20
If you ask for time 2 days ago then say your not someone that asks for time , you are contradicting yourself
-2

JewellintheTown added 12:21 - Aug 20
I enjoy hearing opinions from fans clearly who love & want the best for the club, but sometimes fans know little about what's really happening & understandably frustrated want to share hindsight thoughts. That's what the site is about.
Lets give the guy the benefit of the doubt he's doing the best he can for the moment with what's available & once up & running we'll reap that patience.
At the moment we're like a car crash victim that's going through rehab & learning to walk again. It's happening so let's encourage that but set realistic expectations under the circumstances. Telling them to run isn't helpful.
9

ITFC62 added 12:34 - Aug 20
I get the comment about long throws under the bar. What I don't get is how a throw that has travelled about 25 yards, can bounce in our box, not once, but twice and lead to a goal.
2

PortmanTerrorist added 12:34 - Aug 20
Am not a knee jerker, and WILL give this team time, but please let's keep it real and acknowledge that he had wide player options to not HAVE to stick Fraser out there to basically shut down 1 wing. Dobs, Barry and I would argue even KVY would all have been better options rather than sitting on the bench.

PC is definitely already trying to squeeze players into the starting line up, and will need to get past that quickly if we are to succeed this season
1

runningout added 12:42 - Aug 20
We have also got to realise as we have signed quite a few. A couple of these new signings are not meant to be.
0

blues1 added 13:39 - Aug 20
Bedsitfc. Stop talking bs. From day 1 hes said what fans want to hear? So fans wanted him to say our players were rubbish did we? Even if that's what we thought ourselves. Why would we want him to say the team needs time to gel? Even though we know that's right. And hes not saying he needs time but the team needs time to gel. 2 totally different things. But if u really want him out after 3 lge games then ur being ridiculous. Just remember bobby robsons early games. DLLLLLL. Ud obviously have wanted him sacked too. As some were asking for. And where would this club be now if he had been? So cut out the negativity and give cook and the team the backing they need. Its gonna come and when it does we're gonna be hard to stop. Bcse if fans dont get behind them they're gonna drive the confidence out of the players. And once that happens theres only one way this will end up. The only issue at this club this season is a minor section of fans who only want to moan and be negative. And thats the last thing required this season.
6

Bluearmy71 added 13:43 - Aug 20
@bedsitfc

If that's the way you wish to interpret his words then good luck to you, he clearly using the word "time" in two different contexts!!

Firstly 2 says ago.... Asking us to be understanding and realise the team needs time to gel!

Secondly today....Clearly stating that as a manager he knows the start isn't good enough or as most expected it to be and knowing how tentative any managers role in football is he says "that's not me as a manager asking for more time in my job as the manager"

I see each quote in its own context, not him saying one thing then the other and contradicting himself.
1

dukey44 added 15:57 - Aug 20
Also please let's see a plan B and try 2 up front.. As 1 doesn't seem to be wrking.... Again
1

dirtydingusmagee added 16:18 - Aug 20
Blues1, blaming fans for poor performances or results , ?
-2

BurleysGloryDays added 16:45 - Aug 20
Dirty: if you don't realise the impact fans have on the team then that is truly incredible.

Fans part of the problem in recent years? Absolutely.

But this isn't about civil war between us. It's about actually coming together and being that part of the impact that can help get results.

"It's a game of fine margins" - let's make sure the margins are stacked in our favour wherever we can.

Trust the owners, manager, and new squad. And one another.
1

markchips added 17:04 - Aug 20
Prediction: Cook struggles but so do Wigan and Richardson is through the door by November and sanity is then restored.
1

Karlosfandangal added 19:40 - Aug 20
Bossman

Agree also thought Woolfenden looked better with Burgess at his side
0

Oldboy added 07:48 - Aug 21
It is called being a football manager. Get on with it.
0

TB42 added 12:11 - Aug 21
At the end of the day, we haven't just seen a glut of new signings at Portman Road, we have seen a fundamental cultural overhaul that I think, following EVANS' stewardship, was clearly long overdue and warranted . Expectations are understandably high. However, with that level of change, we do need to be patient and accept things won't always go to plan. I'm sure PC is more than painfully aware that his every move is being scrutinised but equally won't be looking to collect his P45 just yet 😁
0


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