Off the ball work needed for Moncur to flourish with Hatters

Luton midfielder George Moncur needs get better off the ball if he wants to begin affecting games from the start, according to boss Graeme Jones.

The 26-year-old has made 14 appearances for the Hatters in the Championship so far, although only one of them has come from the opening whistle, that way back in August when he started the 2-1 defeat in Cardiff.

He was called upon once more from the bench in the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Stoke, immediately getting involved, firing off an effort that was parried by Jack Butland before being turned in by Harry Cornick, who was flagged offside.

He now has five shots in his last two appearances, including Charlton the previous weekend, three more than anyone else, while averages a strike at goal every 22 minutes on the pitch, easily the highest in the team this term.

Jones said of his willingness to go for goal, “He always does George, he had three shots at Charlton last week.

“I really like George, you can introduce George in certain circumstances at the minute, in his tactical development.

“I don’t question anything he can do on the ball, it’s just off the ball sometimes he needs to be better.

“I didn’t get the chance to work with him in League One when he’s above the league and you can get away with it and can learn tactically, but he’s someone that I value.

“I value everybody here, everybody’s got a role to play, they’ve just got to trust me to pick and choose when.”

Until Moncur had been introduced, there were some groans from fans annoyed with the hosts playing the ball around the back as Stoke blockaded their goal, making any penetration increasingly difficult.

However, Jones felt that had to be the case, adding: “It’s not just about going long, you go long, have you seen the size of Danny Batth? You’ve got to mix your play up.

“I’ve been speaking about that for a while, that’s what we are, we’re a team who mixes our play up.

“It’s difficult you know, imagine playing the role at Luton here and having 65 per cent possession and the opposition are Stoke City.

"You think about the money that’s been spent, think about the internationals on the pitch, their role is to be off the ball, and have 35 per cent possession.

"We’ve not really played that role a lot this season, I’m thinking Nottingham Forest here.

"We’ve tried different things tactically and we got something from the game, with everything we tried and that was pleasing."