Tom Shaw has explained Lincoln City’s approach to team selection after some supporters questioned the starting XI for Saturday’s defeat at Sheffield United.
League One title winners Dom Jefferies, Rob Street and Tom Bayliss were among those selected at Bramall Lane, with none of our summer arrivals in the starting line-up. The 3-0 defeat brought scrutiny of those decisions, with some fans questioning whether the newer additions should have been involved from the start.
City now prepare to host West Ham United at Sincil Bank tomorrow night, offering an opportunity to respond to the weekend’s disappointment. Speaking ahead of the fixture, Shaw was asked about the absence of summer signings from Saturday’s starting XI and explained that selection is driven by the demands of each opponent, alongside form and performances in training.
“It’s not in the process, really,” he said of questions about selection.
“It’s not on our radar. Obviously, the lads who started that game would not have played loads last year in the League One campaign. Every game is its own thing this year, and every game will have a different game plan.
“Whatever we think, profile-wise, form, how people are training, whatever’s the best fit for each opponent is how we’ll pick a side. The players can really influence that with their day-to-day work and previous performances, but we’re looking for holes in all these big clubs that we’re going up against. We’re looking for any flaws in their make-up, and then which of our players could expose them the best.
“We’ve got to be aware of threats. Obviously, tomorrow night, we’ll be up against some excellent players. There are a few things we’ve got to nullify each week, but we’re really aggressive and positive with our team selection, or we try to be. We think about how we can get on top of the opponent, so that never really comes into our thinking.
With West Ham followed by a trip to Millwall, selection also has to take account of another three-game week and the physical demands of Championship football. Asked whether players understand that they will not necessarily feature every week, Shaw explained how keeping the group fresh fits alongside giving players the opportunity to earn and retain their places.
“I think there’s definitely the opportunity for that to be the case for players. Some of our lads will play every minute this year. We’ve looked really good physically, but the load and the physicality of the league are hard, so we’re going to have to keep people fresh.
“It’s another three-game week, with Millwall away to finish it off. In our team selection and our thought process is how we keep the team feeling fresh, catching people at the right moment to go in and start games, and when to come out. It’s a juggling act, but we’ve got a lot of faith in the whole group. I think a lot of people across the squad have started games so far.
“The shirts are there to be taken and kept, always, but there is a game plan in mind. We’ve got to find our best chance of beating the next opponent, the next one being West Ham: things we think we can get after, and who’s best suited to it. The lads know we will have faith in everybody and we’ll rotate things at the right moment, whilst never wanting to affect their rhythm too much at the same time.
There will still be debate over whether we got the selection right at Sheffield United, but Shaw’s explanation sets out the thinking behind those decisions. The summer arrivals will have opportunities to stake their claims, with training, previous performances and suitability for the next opponent all part of the calculation as we look to get back on track against West Ham.
It will be very interesting to see what XI drops this evening, and perhaps even more so the reaction to it.
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