Luongo: Games Like That You Enjoy More Because They're 1-0
Sunday, 17th Sep 2023 09:39 by Kallum Brisset

Town midfielder Massimo Luongo believes the Blues were full value for their “professional” 1-0 victory against former club Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Conor Chaplin’s third goal of the season, and second in as many games, on the stroke of half-time was enough to earn a fifth victory in their opening six league matches of the season, a record that equals their entire wins tally from the Blues’ previous Championship campaign five seasons ago.

Town were generally comfortable and could have led by more, Freddie Ladapo and Harry Clarke both going close either side of half-time.

But Luongo said the Blues’ one-goal lead meant they needed to stay resilient and was satisfied with the clean sheet that secured three points which leaves Town third in the table.

“I think the first half was pretty dominant from us,” he said. “They had a game plan and we recognised where the space was and we cut them open quite well. Yes, we had to defend a little bit, but at Hillsborough away we were expecting that.

“We got the goal and then, in the second half, straight away you’re thinking that they’re going to change shape because, if they don’t, it could be three or four.

“Do they stick to playing and trying to combine and create things or do they just hit the big man up top, and I think they had a bit of a mix in their transition stage, so it was a little bit difficult for a set press.

“But saying that, in away games that we’re up 1-0 they’re not just going to fall over and let us win so it was important that we dug deep and we knew that was coming.

“It was a different performance from us, I’d say a professional performance in seeing out a win and game management. It was important, we’ll look back at this in a couple of weeks or months and think ‘yeah, that was a good win’.

“Freddie had [a chance] early. If we score that I think it changes them a little bit and we’d get long ball for a long amount of time, pummelling the box and having to defend a lot longer than we thought, but then we’ve got to be good enough for the counter-attack.

“It’s just game management and different styles that call for different types of reaction. I think games like that are always 1-0s and 1-1s, we don’t score, could be a 0-0 and we think we should have really won that game.

“Games like that I think you enjoy more because they’re 1-0 because you get tested in a different way and you’ve got to dig deep and work together.

“Set pieces are their strength with the size of their players. The zonal players are doing incredible getting the ball out, and the markers. I didn’t think of that but we had a lot of set pieces and we did really well, so I think we need a bit of credit for that as well.”

The Owls, who remain winless having picked up just one point this season, have utilised various systems under new boss Xisco Muñoz.
Luongo admitted the uncertainty played a part in the team’s preparation and saw the recent two-week break as an opportunity for the hosts to regroup following a difficult opening five matches.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “They went from a [back] five, they started with a four-at-the-back, did well against Leeds with a five-at-the-back, a lot of new faces.

“We were saying the international break is almost like a mini pre-season where teams can work on things and really get things right.

“So we were definitely expecting them to be more solid and more organised but how they were going to set up we just had to figure it out when we’re out there, and we’ve come across it so many times whatever they would have come with.”

The goal was given to Chaplin, although Ladapo attempted to claim it as the ball scrambled in through a pair of Sheffield Wednesday bodies after Leif Davis’s cut-back from the left.

Luongo was not certain on the scorer, but said all the forwards chipping in with goals is important for the team to back up the hard work that is being done on the training ground.

He said: “I don’t know, I thought it was [Chaplin’s goal]. Maybe that’s why everyone went everywhere for the celebrations because no one knew who scored.

“Those positions are important for us to finish the action. Every pattern of play that we work on is so repetitive, even last season you look at the goals we scored. Those positions are about getting cut-backs, those positions are about getting into the box and they’re really important to get the goals.

“In turn, Broady [Nathan Broadhead] who doesn’t score today is a menace in there and he’s creating so many things. And first and foremost, they’re working hard and that’s the least you can ask of them.”

Victory over Wednesday, the 50th under Kieran McKenna in just 87 matches, keeps Town unbeaten on the road since February in all competitions and January in the league and begins a busy run of seven matches in 21 days leading up to the next international break in October.

Luongo said: “The first month is like it’s false because the sun is out, it’s Saturday-Saturday, everyone’s still finding their feet, everyone wants to play nice football.

“And then coming towards October it’s Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday the whole time and this is what it’s really about, this is where teams separate from the bottom to the top because they’ve either got depth or they’re on a run.

“It’s important that we’ve got depth and then we just continue and whoever plays carries on and keeps going.”

On whether the additional added time has a significant impact during the busy schedule, Luongo, who has partnered captain Sam Morsy in every league match this season, added: “It depends on the game. The Sunderland game was relentless, it was like you’re on your last legs, no game on Tuesday or Wednesday so it was finish on your back and put everything into it.

“Today was a little bit more controlled, I feel like we managed the game really well and could have gone on another 10 minutes and I felt comfortable enough to see out the game.”

Cameron Burgess made his Australia debut during the recent internationals, a call-up that Luongo and his teammates were proud to see the centre-half earn.

But Luongo, who has been capped 43 times, retains his own national team ambitions and will be looking to earn a first appearance since 2019 for next month’s friendlies with England and New Zealand with manager Graham Arnold having watched last month's 1-0 win at QPR.

“I’m happy for Cam,” he said. “We’ve all pushed Cam because he deserves it so much from his pathways and grind from League Two and League One. He definitely deserves it.

“I’m definitely in the mix again, I had a conversation with the manager. A friendly game away in Dallas was a good opportunity for him to call up new people for caps.

“Going forwards, who knows? The one in London around the corner would be nice to start it up.

“I’m 31 at the end of the month, so it’s just the direction the manager wants to go. We’re doing well so far so that’s probably put me at the front of the window to say ‘I’m here’.

“It is what it is, I haven’t played for four years so it’s hard to infiltrate a team that’s done pretty well. I’m not expecting anything but it would be nice, of course.”

On the number of Australians in London and whether that might turn the match with England into a home game for the Socceroos, Luongo laughed: “You’d be surprised. I made my debut against Ecuador [at Millwall in 2014], it was a home game for them. Played another game against Colombia [at Fulham in 2018] and it was a home game for them.

“There’s a lot of Aussies but whether they support us for football or not as it’s not as big as other sports.”

Saturday’s game saw Luongo return to a familiar venue, the 30-year-old having made 73 appearances for the Owls across three years in South Yorkshire.

“It was nice,” he said of his return. “At a place like this the staff don’t really change and the groundsman and people like that are always here. I’d like to think I’m quite nice to everyone when I meet them so it’s nice to see them again.

“And you really want to win against your old team, sometimes I run into the dressing room and say ‘cheers lads, thank you’. It was the same at QPR, big win.”

Luongo dismissed suggestions he had been released by Wednesday when he departed in the summer of 2022, when he joined Middlesbrough for six months prior to his switch to the Blues in January.

“Let go? I said no to them,” he recalled. “Contract negotiations didn’t work out, find a new club and that’s how it works.

“I wasn’t disappointed, my family were down south and the idea was to get back down south but I ended up going further up north. It was my time, and I’m glad I did because I’ve ended up here.”

Photos: TWTD/Matchday Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.