Jones hopes McCourt will fit into Hatters' framework

Hatters boss Nathan Jones has urged Paddy McCourt to continue being a team player he wants to become a fixture in the Luton side for the remainder of the campaign.
Paddy McCourt in action for HattersPaddy McCourt in action for Hatters
Paddy McCourt in action for Hatters

The Town chief is known to be a big fan of McCourt after he was a key factor in his move to Championship side Brighton last season, when he was first team coach with the Seagulls.

Jones recalled McCourt to the team for the 1-0 win over Morecambe on Tuesday, the fourth time the Northern Irishman has started for the new Luton manager’s nine games in charge at Kenilworth Road.

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When asked if at times that McCourt’s undoubted ability on the ball meant others weren’t on the same wavelength as him, Jones said: “Then Paddy McCourt needs to get on everyone else’s wavelength as well, so it’s six to one and half a dozen the other if you like.

“We have Paddy, we have a fantastic individual, but it’s about placing an individual into a team framework, because we’re all about team here, what we can do.

“It’s not what any individual does. Individuals do individual moments that can win you games, but it’s the team ultimately that can win you games.

“We want Paddy to be in the team, we want Paddy to be Paddy McCourt in possession, but we also want him to fit into our team framework and our team framework is based on honest hard graft, work-rate that is relentless.”

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Striker Jack Marriott was the main beneficiary of McCourt’s inventiveness on the ball during Tuesday night’s third successive victory, scampering through to put his through ball beyond Shrimps keeper Barry Roche for the winner.

The forward said: “If you’ve got Paddy playing just in behind you, you know you’re going to get little balls through. Also if you make a run he’ll find you, so it’s really good playing with him just off us.”

Meanwhile, what was noticeable from the winger was his willingness to track back and do his defensive duties, something Jones wants as a given from the whole side.

He added: “They all have to do that. To gain a level of performance which I keep preaching here, a level of performance over a consecutive number of games that takes you into a season, you have to have thorough performances, they have to be complete, from start to finish.

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“It was there the other night, apart from a little late rally when we had scored, but I thought we were in total control of the game.

“We have to do that week in week out against everyone we play if we’re going to be successful and that’s the challenge.

“But a complete performance is in and out of possession, set plays, for and against. Everything we do have to be complete and we have to work at that, and we are working at that.

“They are responsive and I really do feel that we were excellent the other night.

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