Taylor looks to raise the bar

CHRIS TAYLOR: Needs to adapt his game now he has become a marked man in League One.

JOHN SHERIDAN believes Chris Taylor can raise the bar and take his game to the next level, despite being one of the most marked men in Coca-Cola League One.

The 22-year-old winger, one of the hottest properties in the lower division, has discovered this season that teams are keeping an extra close watch on him.

And in a bid to outfox opponents, Sheridan says Taylor must adapt his game to keep one step ahead of defenders.

Sheridan said: “When teams take note of you, and realise you are a threat, they will try to make it hard for you.

“I have spoken to Chris and it is up to him to change his game as teams are going to double up on him as he is a big player for us. He cannot keep playing the same way.”

Taylor, who only celebrated his 22nd birthday last month, has already made 142 first-team appearances for Athletic, scoring 17 goals.

Sheridan continued: “Chris has to realise when to play a one-two and when to move without the ball.

“He has a knack of getting the ball and thinking he always has to beat a man, and that is not the case.

“Good players know when to release the ball and Chris needs to put this into his game if he wants to play at a higher level.

“Chris works hard and he must continue to do so. When you are a good player you get noticed and opponents will make things very difficult for you.

“Chris will therefore need to become an even better player and to achieve that he will have to keep working hard and add other things to his game.

“We will keep telling him what to do and hopefully it will sink in and he will come through it and emerge a more complete player.”

Taylor already has many admirers and only last week Athletic managing director Simon Corney revealed the extent of the interest.

Athletic had already had inquiries for Taylor, but Mr Corney explained that no clubs have as yet met the valuation set by the club’s owners.

It is understood there has been interest from Championship clubs, Doncaster Rovers and Blackpool being two of them.

Simon Grayson, who recently quit Blackpool to manage Leeds, was a spectator at the game against Huddersfield Town a week last Saturday.

Sheridan’s comments about Taylor are endorsed by Athletic captain Sean Gregan.

He said: “Everywhere we go at the moment, Chris is doubled up on. If he is to progress, as I am sure he will do, he has to deal with things such as man-to-man marking.

“Chris has been attracting a lot of attention and that is probably because he has been the best player in League One this season.

“He has added goals to his all-round game this season and I am sure there are lots of clubs out there who would want to take him.

“I am hoping we can keep Chris and Lee Hughes because they are both important players for our team.”