Tahith Chong has been told to think less in front of goal, with Luton boss Rob Edwards hoping the attacker can go on a goal spree after earning a point against West Bromwich Albion.
The 24-year-old netted on the opening night of the Championship season, in the defeat to Burnley, but drew a blank in the ten games between the Baggies coming to Kenilworth Road.
But his strike against Albion was one of instinct, having stolen the ball from Alex Mowatt’s loose pass, then blasting early past goalkeeper Alex Palmer.
Chong said: “That’s something we talked about a bit more just, obviously my game, how I like to play. It’s really instinctive, off-the-cuff, really, and trying to go and be creative.
“I think some games this year, maybe (I’m) thinking too much and maybe trying to find that perfect ball sometimes, where it doesn’t really have to be perfect all the time. That’s the gaffer, speaking to him and kind of installing that belief and that confidence in me.”
Yesterday, marked the anniversary of Chong’s first Luton goal, a contender for best of the season, as he finished off a sweeping move to put Town 1-0 ahead against Liverpool, though the Reds levelled in the 95th minute through Luis Diaz.
He notched five times in the Premier League last term, and has now bagged twice in the Championship, though he has been creating for other players. He won the penalty at Coventry that allowed Carlton Morris to make it 2-0 before the three-goal collapse in the second half.
Before the season, Edwards has tipped Chong to be a key player for Luton. With in-form Cardiff City the visitors to Kenilworth Road tonight, the manager is hoping the forward can continue making a difference.
“It’ll be great now if he can really go on a run,” said Edwards adding: “It was something that we spoke about before Cov, when he won the penalty. Chongy and I had a good chat.
“He’s brilliant for us. The way he works his pressing, he’s winning a lot more duels and things like that, and basics and things like that that we really want from him.
“Now, if he’s providing assists and goals, again, he’s another one that’s becoming a really, really important complete player.
“So, it’d be great now if he could really go on a run, because I think he always gets a chance or two in a game.
“If he keeps the quality that he that he showed the other day, then there’s no reason why he can’t get a lot of goals for us.”
The last two home games have seen Town boss Sunderland and West Brom but only get a point, and talking about how Chong and other players can turn dominance into more goals, Edwards said: “Sometimes it can be less thinking. It’s something that we’ve been chatting about and Chongy’s even mentioned himself like he did for that all-important goal.
“It’s just not thinking too much, not too many touches and just being positive and brave with it and having conviction.
“Sometimes, I think you saw it the other night, there’s too many touches or maybe that split second too long and that can be a little bit of confidence, that could be a little bit of overthinking.
“Chongy just freed his mind a little bit, just did it and had conviction in what he was doing. It was obviously a great finish, took it early, surprised the goalkeeper a little bit, I think.
“So, sometimes it’s timing and just doing things a little bit quicker, but we’ve still got to make sure that we are, not like robots, because the final third is a little bit about feel, getting the timing right, but also we’ve got to make sure we arrive with the right numbers and get good, good bodies forward.
“Now, what helps with that is when we do have a lot of territory, like we’ve had in the last three home games, is you’ve got the bodies there already.
“So if you keep asking questions of defenders, if we keep suffocating and winning the ball back really quickly, then it hasn’t always got to be a perfect through-ball. It might be from a really quick regain.
“I think the first goal against Oxford is a really good example of that kind of thing as well, so it’s another area for us that we continue to work hard on.
“So numbers and arriving there at the right time, I think sometimes less thinking, just do it and have conviction, and that’s something that we’ve been talking about.”
