Bloomfield aware Luton must improve open play threat after being too reliant on set-pieces

Improving the Hatters’ ability to score from open play is one of new manager Matt Bloomfield’s missions after he conceded there has been far too much of a reliance on set-piece goals this season.

Of the 29 goals that the Hatters have scored so far, only 12 of them have come from open play, the second worst in the division, with only Derby County and Millwall, both on 11, having less. Town are also one of only three teams, along with Swansea and West Bromwich Albion, not to score a counter-attacking goal, but do rank high in the set-piece category, an area that has led to 14 goals, with their two against Oxford United on Tuesday evening, both falling into that category, the second best in the Championship.

Coming from a team in Wycombe Wanderers who had managed 50 goals under his tenure this term, a mighty 30 of them from open play, asked just how important it is to start working on it, Bloomfield said: “I think we have to. There’s been a heavy reliance on set-piece goals throughout the season so far and to pick up more wins we have to improve our open play goals. There’s lots of different types of open play goals. It can be possession, it can be counter-attacking, it can be second ball moments, so there’s plenty of ways we can go after that and we have to improve that area of the pitch.

"As I said last week when I came in, there were too many goals going in our net and not enough going into the oppositions' net and those are the two things we have to improve if we’re going to improve results. Scoring goals is the hardest part in football and that’s why forwards are the ones who earn the most money. There’s ways we can try and coach and try and create more opportunities, it’s what we’re going after, but we’re (coaching staff) not the ones going and finishing them.

"We have some really good forwards in the building, we have some really good attacking players, so it’s about trying to create as many opportunities as we can for them to attack. We want to attack, we want to attack as much as we can, but when we’re conceding goals we have to get that balance right between defensive shape as well, so it’s trying to strike that balance as we want to be an attacking team.”

The new manager knows he won’t be able to just click his fingers and see the changes happen overnight though, adding: “There’s no magic formula that we can apply, but what we can do is try and create chances of high xG (expected goals) if we can, try and create really good opportunities, which is what we want to do for our forwards.

"Then it’s about the execution of the chance and that’s the bit we can’t do. The players are really taking on the information, we’re trying to get ourselves in as good areas as we possibly can.

"But we also have to understand the profile of the footballer that we have and are working with right now, and what are the similarities to the ones we’ve come from and what are the differences as there’s no point trying to be a know-it all, this is my way and the only way.

"It’s not about that, it’s about having clear ideas about how we can create opportunities, also trying to build that around the nuances of the players that we have available as well and we’re trying to do that as quickly as possible.”

Although he has only been in charge for a week, Bloomfield is already trying to put his stamp on the Hatters from an attacking viewpoint as despite being kept out by Preston in their stalemate on Saturday, the new boss did see his team set a record for the campaign, as he continued: “We got to the final third 52 time on Saturday which is the most in a home game this season and we’re really pleased about that.

"To create opportunities, you’ve got to get to the top third as much as you possibly can and it’s now about taking it on to the next stage and creating those clear-cut chances and executing them. It’s about trying to give the boys as many tools to go and do that, fill them with confidence and belief as we’ve got some really, really good footballers here. I’m really looking forward to when those chances start being created and going in the back of the net, as there’s nothing more fulfilling for a manager than seeing your team enjoying their football and scoring goals."

With Luton struggling for belief this term, as a losing mentality has festered and showed itself again on Tuesday night, Town leading twice at the Kassam Stadium, only to end being beaten 3-2. There was a moment in the first period when Elijah Adebayo could have pulled the trigger to shoot, only to dally and see the chance go begging, as on improving his players’ belief, Bloomfield added: “Confidence isn’t something you can flick on and flick off.

"It’s about doing it as consistently as you can and as many times as you can. We’ve tried to do that as many times as we can in training and hope that relays itself out on to the pitch. But again, if you look at some of the forwards we’ve got, they played in the Premier League, scored goals in the Premier League last year. We believe that there’s ability at the top of the pitch and if we try and help them by creating as many chances as we possibly can, then hopefully the goals will come and I’m sure they will.”