Premier League: Stoke City assistant manager Mark Bowen reveals change in tactics
Tuesday 28 October 2014 17:52, UK
Stoke assistant manager Mark Bowen has revealed his side have been forced to change their tactics for defending set-pieces.
The club fear Ryan Shawcross is being singled out by referees in such situations after the City skipper gave away a penalty in the 2-1 win over Swansea earlier this month for grappling with Wilfried Bony.
Stoke boss Mark Hughes has taken the decision to use Shawcross as a zonal marker even though the role does not come naturally to him.
"The difficult thing for Ryan, in Saturday's game (the 1-0 defeat at Southampton) we tried to pull him out of the spotlight,” said Bowen.
"Instead of him actually marking from a corner, we put him in an area where he could just go and attack the ball, which is not his game, he's not been brought up on that.
"It comes to something when you've got to try to change your system of marking around because you're worried that the lad is getting targeted."
Stoke believe Shawcross has earned an unfair reputation as a player who holds opponents in the box and that he was punished for an offence that is rarely penalised.
Two Manchester United defenders appeared to wrestle Chelsea players to the ground at a corner in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Old Trafford but no penalty was awarded.
"You see it time and time again across the country and Europe as well and, when nothing does happen, it does hurt," added Bowen.
"When you look at the two referees, Michael Oliver for our game, his starting position before the corner came in, as opposed to where Phil Dowd was standing.
"You wonder whether Michael was actually looking for something in that area, whereas Phil maybe had a more general picture."
