Town star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has admitted he still has a lot to learn about the defensive side of his game.
The former Arsenal youngster has been praised for his work in recent weeks, tracking back to avert danger down the flanks as Paul Jewell’s men put together a four-game winning streak prior to last week’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton.
Emmanuel-Thomas, 21, said: "Down at Brighton, overall, I thought our performance wasn’t bad. We played quite well but obviously we couldn’t score and we couldn’t stop them from scoring, so it was quite frustrating.
"The experience can be quite draining. We have to stop conceding such soft goals. I would far rather we conceded unbelievable goals knowing we couldn’t do anything about preventing them than letting in the soft ones.”
The young Londoner is pleased to be holding down a regular place in the side but as a forward-thinking player he makes no attempt to disguise the fact that defending doesn’t come naturally.
He added: "I am such an attacking player that I seem to lack concentration more than orthodox defenders do. In defensive areas I feel it quite a bit. It’s a transformation for me.
"The manager expects me to try to stop the opposition full-back getting involved in the game. Recently I’ve been doing that quite well and hopefully I can keep it going. I have a good relationship with Carlos on and off the pitch. We get along really well and that definitely helps.” Stand-in skipper Edwards recently sang the praises of his younger colleague for his support at the back as Town kept successive clean sheets at Portsmouth and at home to Cardiff, although having so far leaked 60 league goals no one is forgetting that the club boast the worst defensive record in the Championship. Nevertheless, Emmanuel-Thomas said: "We want to end the season on a high and push as high up the league as we can. Next season we will be looking to make a good start and stay in and around the top of the league right through to the end.” Photo: Action ImagesWhat to read next:
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