It's never a good sign when your side's player of the season is your sturdy, no nonsense right back. Unfortunately for Oxford, there is almost no debate that that is the case this season.
Sam Long was on the outskirts of the Oxford team for what seemed like a lifetime before he was brought more permanently into the fold back in February 2019. Long had started only three games that season and was put in by manager Karl Robinson to steady the ship - Oxford sitting in 22nd at the time and embroiled in a relegation battle with 13 matches to play.
Up stepped Sam Long. He would not miss a minute of Oxford's final run of games, picking up 27 points from a possible 39 with just two defeats, helping United not only escape danger but in fact lift themselves up to mid table mediocrity.
And Sam Long hasn't looked back since. Well except of course when they tried to replace him at the start of the next season, and come to think of it the start of this one as well.
Despite this, Long has managed to cement a spot in the first team - nobody played more games than Sam Long (40) in 2020, and his impressive performances have even earnt him the captain's armband at points this season.
He has proved himself to be clearly the most - if not technically gifted - consistent and defensively sound right back at the club, and probably left back and centre back too.
But Sam Long is proving himself to be much more than just a versatile squad man. He has been Oxford's stand out player this season, and the full back shows it in his numbers.
Sturdy, consistent and an extremely good tackler
Sam Long's defensive credentials have never been questioned, but this season, he has gone above and beyond in his goal saving duties.
Long has the most interceptions out of any Oxford player this season (33), one ahead of Alex Gorrin (32).
Despite his size (5"10 is particularly small for a League One defender), Sam Long has also proved useful in the air - his ability to cover more than ably at centre back is proof of this. Long challenges on average 6.4 aerial duels per game and wins 55% of them.
He also used his heading prowess to grab his first goal of the season against MK Dons nearly two months ago (he doubled that total in Oxford's last match against Plymouth) and he is likely to get more given his constant threat in John Mousinho's new and dangerous set pieces all season.
The fact that Josh Ruffels - a consistent performer for many years now - has looked exposed this season is credit to how Long has barricaded his wing, with more teams forcing their opportunities down Oxford's left hand side - Ruffels may not be at his best but Sam Long's improved form has also played a part in sides doing this.
In last season's playoff semi final first leg, many were concerned that Long was finally out of his depth. He was torn apart by Portsmouth's Ronan Curtis and their first goal came down his side.
Despite a better second half of that game, Kenny Jacket still focused his attacks down on Long in the second leg. However, some say Ronan Curtis still finds himself lodged somewhere within Sam Long's pocket from back in July.
The Irishmen did not have a sniff in that match, or when the two sides met earlier this season.
If Curtis wasn't a big enough challenge, then Long would have to prove himself up against a higher level winger, preferably someone with pace, power and skill so he could conclusively show his elite one on one ability.
Allan Saint-Maximim will do.
The forward played around 180 minutes against Sam Long over two legs back in February last year.
Pace, power and skill. He ticked all the boxes. Not that it bothered Long.
He kept the winger to precious little throughout the two games, and though Saint Maximim did eventually find the winner in the replay, it took him nearly 120 minutes to do so, and he had barely had a shot in the first meeting between the two of them.
On average, Sam Long has been dribbled passed just 0.4 times per game this season. Whether it's Ronan Curtis, Danny Mayor or Allan Saint Maximim - Sam Long has been transformed from the one teams want to get at, to the brick wall they look to avoid.
Going Forward
Tuesday saw another typical Sam Long goal. Fake shot on the half way line, slalom through the midfield, keep the run going and tidily roll the ball through the keeper's legs. How many times have we seen that one from Oxfordshire's own Rihad Mahrez.
If Sam Long got the ball on the wing a few seasons ago, he was almost entirely reliant on James Henry being in close enough proximity for the pass. Now, if their really is no other option, Sam Long has the ability to not only engage players but occasionally (still no George Baldock or Chris Cadden consistency) hit a dangerous cross into the box.
An odd training ground race last season showed Sam Long to be one of the fastest players at the club - a startling result for fans who had clearly not seen Long break into full stride at any point in his career - and since then, he has looked a different player.
The full back is averaging more dribbles per game this season and has already had 12 shots, compared to only five in the whole of the last campaign.
He also has the fourth most crosses at Oxford this term and only Elliot Moore has registered more than Sam Long's 793 passes as he becomes much more heavily involved in building Oxford's moves than he would have previously been.
39% of Oxford's attacks have come down the right side - more than any other position on the pitch and much higher than last seasons total - and Sam Long has been a massive part of that.
Long's goal against Plymouth exemplifies not only his attacking progress over the last few years, but also the levels faith he has gained from his teammates who are more willing to give him the ball and trust him to play roles in their attacks.
This - combined with his consistently strong and ever improving defensive performances - has made him Oxford's stand out performer this season, and if he continues on this rate, nothing will stop him from scooping up United's player of the season award and maybe, just maybe, Robinson won't be tempted to attempt recruiting another replacement next season.
Comments
Post a Comment