Nathan Jones says he’s seen a positive reaction fron Sam Nombe after last week publicly telling the striker he needed to “do more” to show he wanted a career at Luton.
The 22-year-old is on loan from Milton Keynes, with an option to buy at the end of the season, though he hasn’t featured since January 30 and is yet to make a start in the Championship among his seven appearances.
Jones had told Nombe in person what he wants to see from him, but last week took the rare opportunity to reveal it publicly – a tactic which appears to have worked.
“Yes, (I’ve) seen a reaction which has been good, really good, in training, saw a reaction, and there’s more to come from him,” said the manager.
“He has to earn his opportunity, but he has to be guided into that opportunity as well, so it’s a big onus on us as well as on him, but we’ve seen a reaction, which is very pleasing.”
Asked if the upturn in efforts was down to his comments last week, Jones added: “I don’t know, but he wouldn’t have needed to see it as I don’t say things in the press that I don’t say to people face-to-face as I don’t let players know my messages in the press.
“If something needs to be kept in-house, I’ll keep it in-house and won’t mention it, but if it’s something I’ve openly spoken to him about and demanded from him, then I feel at times that it’s an obligation to let people know that, no, we have spoken, we have demanded from him.
“Because some people are wondering, you’ve brought him, haven’t really played him. Sometimes, people have to earn certain things they get, I know I was a player and no-one ever gave me anything, so that’s the culture and the environment we have here, but we have seen a reaction so that’s positive.”
