Massimo Luongo
POLL: Spurs midfielder Massimo Luongo signs for Ipswich Town
By Stuart Watson
Monday, July 23, 2012
10:50 AM
IPSWICH Town have once again utilised their strong links with Tottenham Hotspur to bring in teenage midfielder Massimo Luongo, pictured, on a season-long loan deal.
The 19-year-old Australian is expected to join up with Paul Jewell’s squad for training today, having played in a friendly for Spurs’ development squad against Italian side Calsio Como on Saturday.
He is likely to make his debut in either tomorrow night’s friendly at Braintree Town or the following night at Cambridge United, with manager Paul jewell having said he will spilt his squad for the two games.
Supporters are unlikely to know much about the 5ft 9in youngster who is described as a creative central midfielder.
And while temporary acquisitions are not always welcomed by fans in the same way as permanent ones – the deal could potentially end in January – fans will have to trust the judgement of the Blues coaching staff.
Jewell speaks regularly with Spurs coach Tim Sherwood and has seen the club’s reserve and youth team sides face the north London club on numerous occasions. In addition, returning academy director Bryan Klug spent the last two years working within the youth set-up at the Premier League club. And, of course, Town have had Giovanni Dos Santos, Andros Townsend and Jake Livermore on loan from Tottenham in recent years.
Sydney-born Luongo started out his career playing for APIA Leichhardt Tigers in his homeland before joining Spurs in January last year after impressing on trial.
He scored three goals in nine appearances for Tottenham’s Under-18 team last season and made one appearance for the first team under Harry Redknapp, coming on as a substitute in a League Cup game against Stoke and missing the crucial spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out.
Still eligible to represent Italy or Indonesia through his father and mother’s respective birth places, he has represented the Australian Under-20 team on two occasions and has been called up for training camps in Europe with the full senior national team.
With Jewell also trying to tie up a deal for 19-year-old box-to-box midfielder Cheick Kourouma, Town will be well stocked with options in the middle next season. Luke Hyam, Andy Drury, Ryan Stevenson, Jimmy Bullard and Lee Martin are already at the club, with the latter now entering the final year of his contract.
– What do you think? Are you excited about the prospect of a young Premier League player coming to the club, or worried about a loanee blocking the progress of the club’s own players? Post your comments below.
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11 comments
Experience is a marvellous thing , cyril , football is no different to anything else , the more you play the better you get !
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KEVIN FRANCIS
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Kevin, I do understand the position of holding mid fielder, however if you read again, you will see I said occasionally. Hyams situation has nothing to do with PJ not playing him if he was good enough he would be in the team. PJ selects the team on what he sees in training, clearly he was not impressed.
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Cyril Baker
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Kevin, I fully accept what you say regarding a holding mid fielder so what do you not understand about occasionally.
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Cyril Baker
Monday, July 23, 2012
Could you put a third category in your web polls, something like "Don't care"?
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JOHN BURLS
Monday, July 23, 2012
A holding midfield player , cyril, does spend most of the game in his own half , if he dosnt he is not doing his job properly , the only reason the lad Hyam is not ready for the first team as an automatic choice , is because jewell didnt give him the 30+ games he needed last season to be a major player this season.
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KEVIN FRANCIS
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monkey - accept my post here was a little bit acerbic - but was also partly tongue in cheek.My more reasoned response was to the article before when it was first suggested that we might take the lad on loan. Basically I said that if we were to make loan signings these should be for areas where there was not back up - rather than the midfield where we seem to be well stocked. I actually praised Jewell for his signing of hungry players such a Drury & Stevenson & thought they should be given more chances this year - together with Hyam Carson & maybe even Lawrence - plus of course regulars such as Martin & JET. Even Jewell accepts loans should be kept to a minimum & in my opinion a better argument could be made for agreeing one for virtually any other area of the pitch. I remain firmly of the opinion that this deal will not benefit Ipswich in the longer term & in the meantime may well hinder the development of some of our own players.
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Old Timer
Monday, July 23, 2012
We shouldn't have double standards about loan players, it seems supporters are quite happy to see our own players go out on loan and allow other clubs to develop our youngsters so surely we shouldn't see it as a problem to develop better quality young players loaned to us by others while at the same time improving our squad!
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andrew smith
Monday, July 23, 2012
Old Timer - The same comments come from people on these boards so often about Jewell not giving the youngsters a chance "What about Hyam?" "What about Murray?" When the simple fact is the manager will pick who he thinks is most likely to get results. While its always nice for local players to develop through the team and become regulars we have to say that the club and results must come first. In relation to Hyam PJ was a bit unfair to him last year but Hyam is a hard working central midfielder who helps harass the opposition and get the ball back and moving whereas Luongo is more forward thinking and more creative in the final third and a further forward central midfield player so yes it is "simples" as you say. We now have a choice between a more holding midfielder or a more attack minded midfielder so PJ has improved the possible team selections. You cant compare the two when they will perform different roles.
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Monkey1986
Monday, July 23, 2012
Old Timer, where is the problem, if Hyam is good enough he will get into the team, if not he will remain on the outside, I do like Hyam, but he has to realise there are two halves to a football pitch and occasionaly he muse go over the halfway line.
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Cyril Baker
Monday, July 23, 2012
Season long loan hey - so about the same length of contract as Luke Hyam ???????? All Jewell has to decide now is whether to develop a local Ipswich boy whose stated desire is to succeed with his home town club - or do the same for an Italian Indonesian Aussie for the benefit of Tottenham Hotspur - simples !!!!!
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Old Timer
Monday, July 23, 2012
Well done PJ if this happens just a strikerrequired and you havedone what you said, if Hesky signs although not my choice the problems will have been covered. However I am confident there will be one or two more signings by the start of the season. As for the loan situation this is how it appears to be in the championship at the moment.
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Cyril Baker
Monday, July 23, 2012