Jamie Reed welcomes City manager’s switch to 4-4-2 (From York Press)

Jamie Reed welcomes York City manager’s switch to 4-4-2

12:05pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in Sport

York City striker Jamie Reed

JAMIE Reed has welcomed new manager Nigel Worthington’s switch to 4-4-2 following his return to York City.

The 25-year-old forward, recalled by Worthington from his loan spell at Cambridge United, was given a full half in his preferred system during Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Port Vale.

In the past, Reed has often struggled to lead the line or make an impact from the flanks in previous manager Gary Mills’ favoured 4-3-3 formation but believes a new tactical approach could yet resurrect his Bootham Crescent career.

The former Wrexham striker said: “I think everybody can probably see that 4-4-2 is probably my preferred formation and better for me personally. It’s nice to play up front with somebody rather than hoping somebody will get up front with you. It’s nicer to be in a goalscoring area as well rather than on the flanks.”

Reed, who will be out of contract at the end of the season, confessed that he felt he had played his last game for the Minstermen when he was farmed out to Cambridge by Mills having started just three matches this term.

But the 5ft 9in tall striker, who has netted 25 times for City in 85 games including 37 starts, is hoping to take advantage of his unexpected second chance.

He said: “It was pleasing to get back on the pitch and try to help the team and the lads on Saturday. Obviously, it has come due to unfortunate circumstances with the manager changing, but the new manager has come in and said he wants to give me another chance.“He wants to give me that opportunity and, hopefully, I will get more of an opportunity than I did previously. If that’s the case, I will do my best between now and the end of the season as I am sure everybody else will be doing.”

Six of Reed’s seven appearances for Cambridge were starts and, despite playing out wide and being unable to find the net, he feels the game time in the Blue Square Bet Premier was beneficial, adding: “It was good for my fitness and I feel sharper and quicker but I was playing on the left wing so I never really got the goal opportunities I would have liked.

“But, at the end of the day, I was there to do a job for Cambridge and that’s where they wanted me to play.”