Jack Wilshere has challenged Luton Town to turn possession into goals and called for a collective belief in his “principles”, while admitting his own players can fuel the anxiety inside Kenilworth Road.
The Hatters head into their home meeting with Leicester City tomorrow after back-to-back games in which they have had just shy of 50 shots, but scored just three, so Wilshere believes there is still room for improvement in the final third.
Luton registered 23 shots in their 2-1 victory over Barnsley, having also produced 25 in the previous game, yet the manager has made clear that creating chances is only part of the job.
He also acknowledged that the way his side use the ball can influence the mood inside the stadium, particularly when they fail to take opportunities to retain possession and calm a game down.
Wilshere talked immediately after the Barnsley game about his men coping well with the anxiety inside Kenilworth Road after their defeat days earlier in Milton Keynes.
Leicester will be expected to keep hold of the ball for long periods tomorrow and Wilshere said: “The anxiety bit, I think, is sometimes created a little bit by ourselves as well.
“I felt on Tuesday, there was a probably a five-minute spell where we had the opportunity to keep the ball or slow the game down. And then we missed the opportunity a couple of times and within that time there was the Clicker [Jordan Clark] header where he should score. So we were still creating a chance.
“And then I think we won the ball back again on the side, we gave it away. And then it went back down into the corner and Jake [Richards] gave it away with the pass back. Then it went to Izzy [Isaiah Jones] and Izzy gave it away. So that has [been] created sometimes by us and we have to be better at recognising that, definitely.”
Wilshere does not believe the anxiety is necessarily caused by Luton being without the ball though, instead suggesting it can emerge when his team have possession but take too many touches or make mistakes.
He wants his players to recognise when they can keep the ball and when they need to move forward more quickly, while retaining the flexibility to adapt their approach to the opposition, with tomorrow’s opponents Leicester one of the teams in League One with the highest figures for possession.
However, Town’s last two victories have come against Wycombe and Barnsley where they had less possession that their opponents. Asked whether his team currently plays better when they don’t have less of the ball, Wilshere said: “I’d agree. That’s what I mean about being adaptable. I’ve at here before and spoken about the Stevenage game, and other games where I do feel like we have to take the ball.
“Against Barnsley, we knew that as soon as we took the ball, you might be able to make one or two passes, but as soon as you made a pass centrally they’re going to jump and be aggressive, which then opens up a different a different style of play, a different side of the game.
“I’ve said it so many times, we’re principal based, and we want possession, but we want possession with purpose. If that takes five passes to get into the opposition’s half, [or] if it takes one pass, which we did on Tuesday, and we get into the opposition’s half with stable possession, and it doesn’t become a transitional game, then fine, let’s do it.
“The MK Dons game, probably, is another good example where I think we dominated the ball and had more possession in that game. We had 25 shots of goal and we had to do that in that game. We also had to be better in the final third and when we were attacking the box and being more clinical with our finishing.
“My job, which the side of the job that I absolutely love is the last 48 hours and watching four or five games of Leicester and working out what type of game I think is going to be. Working with the coaches and getting their opinion, and then coming up with a game plan that we think is best to win the game.
“You only win games by scoring goals. So that is always, always my first intention. I need Tim [Corcoran – coach], I need Powelie [Chris Powell – assistant manager] with me to help me with the defending side and we work on that really hard together as well. But always, just the way I am as a person, as I was as a player, I was [thinking] how can we attack? How can we score goals?
“Sometimes that might take a few extra passes to get there. Sometimes we might be able to be a little bit more direct and I want the team and the players to know that and also be able to execute that. And we’re getting closer to that, definitely.”
The manager also defended his underlying philosophy, saying he remained convinced by his principles despite the criticism that can follow defeats when a team prioritises possession, but he acknowledged the importance of being open to change.
Asked if it gets frustrating when he is criticised in defeat when Luton have had so much possession, Wilshere said: “I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating because I have a strong belief in that.
“The biggest thing that I’ve learned since I’ve been here in this year is to listen to everyone and be be open and be humble to adapt, which we have all the time. But stick to your principles and stick to what you know.”
Wilshere said he wanted that conviction to be shared throughout the club, rather than being something held by the manager alone.
“Not frustrating. The word’s not frustrating, but what I want from everyone is a belief. I ask the players all the time to believe and when I when I stand here and talk to them, I look in their eyes and I see a real belief.
“However, to then go and execute it all the time in difficult circumstances, I would say, at times, which we understand. We want to win, and everything we do is to win, but I want to collective belief from everyone.
“I think that’s really, really powerful. Everyone in the club, everyone outside the club, that we really believe in something because that’s the way we’re going and we believe that we’ll get that bit wrong.”
With Leicester expected to provide a different test to the recent games against Barnsley and MK Dons, Wilshere also urged supporters to get behind the team when the opportunity comes to press their opponents.
He believes the crowd can make a difference when Luton are out of possession and trying to force Leicester into mistakes, rather than allowing frustration to build during spells when the visitors have the ball.
“My message is in them moments when we’re waiting for the opportunity to press, when we do go and press, get behind the team because I’ve been there with the Kenny is like that and that can be like a twelfth man and that’ll be difficult for Leicester to deal with. It’s a game we’re looking forward to and I think the fans should look forward to it as well.”
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