What does Brad Friedel’s arrival mean for Shrewsbury Town boss Gavin Cowan?

Boss Gavin Cowan took up the title of manager after Town moved away from a director of football model under the previous regime.

But a new era has brought a change in structure, with Friedel taking on the role of sporting director and overseeing the club’s footballing operations.

Asked what that means for Cowan’s manager role, Friedel said: “First and foremost, when you sign as a manager or a head coach, the main importance is to coach the team and get results on the weekend. That’s the main importance.

“Without going into titles too much, and Scott and I are going to meet with Gavin, I can openly say we’ll never sign a player without Gavin’s support on doing it.

“That’s mistake number one that you could get into at a football club. We want to sign players that are going to fit to a certain system and a certain style. We also want to develop academy players that are going to fit to a certain system and a certain style.

“There’s going to be players over time that they’re going to sell. It doesn’t matter what size of football club you’re at, players are for sale. It’s one of the ways to create revenue, so it’s up to myself to be around Gavin, to be with the recruitment team.

“Title-wise, there will be change, for sure. There’s going to be roles and responsibilities that change, but not as drastic and dramatic as some might feel.

“We are here to work with Gavin and help him and his staff.”

New owner Scott Davidson added that job titles were not important to him, including his own. He described himself as a steward of the club and insisted supporters would remain at the heart of its future.

He said: “As far as I’m concerned, you guys should call me Scott. I don’t want a title.”