Town have suffered few disappointments this season and skipper Sam Morsy believes that as long as performance levels are consistent there is every reason to believe that the team’s current status can be maintained through to the end of the season.

Uppermost in the file marked ‘frustrating’ is the 1-0 defeat by Lincoln, while being held to a 1-1 draw by Cheltenham isn’t far behind, and being held 4-4 at Charlton after twice being two goals ahead was another disappointment.

But with the Blues sitting second in the League One table the overall position is undoubtedly positive as a busy stage in the season fast approaches.

Morsy said: “It’s around Christmas and into January that you hit the halfway point in the season and the games come thick and fast. It’s an important period as we look to maintain our performance levels and as long as we do that I’m sure the results will follow.

“I would say we’ve been really, really consistent and I think most of the goals we’ve conceded have been down to individual errors. Obviously, we work hard in training to try to prevent that but they still happen from time to time.

“Also, we’re a team that tends to have more possession in just about every game we play, but that means we’ve got to carve out as many scoring chances as we can and look to turn them into goals.

“If you remember, against Cheltenham we created some really good opportunities, but we hit the bar, the post, some flew over, some went wide, the keeper saved a few and their defenders made some great blocks, so on the day we had to settle for a point, but generally speaking if your performance levels remain consistently high the results will come.

“It probably feels as if we’ve left a couple of points there, although you have to respect the opposition as well at times, but you also have to look at what a healthy position we are in.

“We’re only two points off the top of the league and we have a very healthy buffer between us and seventh place, so we’re doing really well. We’re always working to improve but it’s the level of performance that the manager wants that is most important.

“When teams get everybody behind the ball spaces become a little bit smaller. It means you have to recycle the ball a little bit more and also keep hold of it a bit more than you would ideally want.

“You keep knocking on the door with the belief that you have the right mentality along with the quality to find the breakthrough.

“It’s definitely important to remain patient and not get frustrated when the opposition try to waste time. You have to stay calm, stick to the plan and keep believing that in the 90-plus minutes you can do enough to score goals.”

The quality and depth of Town’s squad is being tested right now as a number of players remain sidelined by injury but Morsy believes the situation is also opening the door for players, particularly Kyle Edwards as he aims to replace Marcus Harness, who is absent until early in the new year following minor knee surgery.

Morsy added: “All the fit players are doing the right things every day by training to a very high standard and they are feeling sharp as a result. It’s a great opportunity now for Kyle. He’s made a good impact off the bench in games and more recently he’s been starting games.

“Sometimes you have to be patient but Kyle has been looking good so far. He’s always smiling, he’s positive and he trains really hard to make sure he’s ready to hit the ground running when a chance comes along. Kyle is very talented and this is now his opportunity to showcase his ability.”

Morsy explained that he sees it as a part of his role as captain to keep track of the injured players and the progress they are making, in an effort to ensure squad morale is always at its highest. He said: “When they are out injured, players react differently.

“Somebody like Sone [Aluko] is calm and level-headed, for example, so it’s easy to chat and find out how it’s going for him. But you get others who are more emotional and it weighs on their minds that they are not able to play and contribute.

“It’s a squad thing, all players are different within the group, but the one thing they have in common is trying to look after each other and making sure everyone is okay and coping.

“We all have different things we can bring to the table but it’s a group mentality rather than individuals having to do it.

“There’s definitely a culture within the squad that wasn’t there a year ago. This time last year everything was still new — fairly new manager and coaching staff plus a new group of players still settling down after a busy summer of signings — and it does take time for things to settle.

“You need to spend time together as a group, training and playing together obviously, but time socialising and a bit of team bonding as well. We’ve all had a pre-season together and that was a big thing as relationships developed and are still developing.”

Morsy was asked about playing alongside different players in the centre of midfield, previous partner Lee Evans being replaced by Dom Ball, who was then ruled out for the remainder of the season, which in turn opened the door for Cam Humphreys to feature regularly.

“With Cam alongside me I’m playing a little bit deeper — instead of the box-to-box player, more of a sitter — so it can affect my role,” explained the captain.

“But it doesn’t really to any great extent and I would say I’ve enjoyed playing alongside Cam as much as anyone else.

“We’ve developed a great relationship — he’s not only a good player, he’s also a good guy — and while he’s done really well, we all know there is more to come from him. He’s young but plays like a senior player, so for me it has been an enjoyable experience, even if the role has changed a bit.

“It’s been the same for me at my other clubs, like Middlesbrough and Wigan, because you learn how to adapt in terms of helping the other players and the team as a whole.

“With Cam it’s not a case of me talking him through the game or anything like that. There’s no more communication with him than there would be with one of the other lads alongside me.

“If he was playing like a young lad and looked as if he needed help, of course I would try to help, but it speaks volumes for Cam and his ability that I haven’t had to do anything out of the norm.

“You treat players appropriately and because he’s an intelligent guy, who asks questions and speaks to me a lot when we’re off the pitch, I know he understands his role and his responsibilities to the extent that he doesn’t need anybody to talk him through the game.”

Finally, after Jamaican international Greg Leigh admitted last week that he was already looking forward to the World Cup in 2026, Morsy said he had not given up hope of being involved himself with Egypt as 48 countries will qualify for the final stages of the event being jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico,

He said: “Of course, there’s always something there to think about. You need to set yourself goals if you’re going to get there and one I’ve set is to get us promoted this season.

“Another goal — and it’s a big one — is to try to get back in the international set-up. It will be nearly four years from now, so you never know what can happen.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Dissboyitfc added 08:07 - Dec 2 Enjoyed reading that, top bloke,
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DaGremloid added 10:45 - Dec 2 One goal he could set is to stop getting himself needless yellow cards which could prove costly to the club. He's an excellent player but this is a worrying flaw.
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