Oxford United defender Sam Long says there is more to come from team

United have won seven of their opening nine games in Sky Bet League One, and find themselves second in the table.

The U’s are a point behind John Mousinho’s Portsmouth, although they have played a game less than Pompey.

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The next test for United is the visit of Shrewsbury Town this evening, a side which has failed to score in their last six games in all competitions.

“We’ve got a long way to go still. We’ve still got a lot to learn and by no means have we cracked anything,” said Long.

“We’ve had a few good results and good performances, but we know we can go another gear.

“We need to not get too carried away with where we are at the moment because we know the football season has loads of ups and downs, and we need to be prepared for both of them.”

U’s head coach Liam Manning threw a curveball in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Stevenage, by switching from his usual 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-2-1 formation.

For Long and his teammates, the change did nothing to distract the players from the job in hand.

“It’s not about knowing systems, it’s about knowing your jobs and how to play the game,” said Long.

“We know going into every game we have a plan in place, and we knew fully on Saturday what was needed to be done, and we fully trusted that.

“We’ve worked on structures in and out of possession, and I think that shows when we’re playing.

“We’re very comfortable in any system that we play and I think it shows in our performances.”

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He added: “Before Saturday, we have flipped to a three a few times this season but on Saturday, it was the first time we started with a three.

“Everyone knows their jobs and different roles in our team. Everyone in the building is ready to play.”

Long also highlighted the positive impact that togetherness and team morale are having at the club.

“The group is really tight and we’re really close. I think the manager has helped with that and everyone is all-in and team first,” he said.

“That’s the culture that we’re building here. Everyone knows football can change very quickly, a week is a long time in football so whoever’s playing needs to be on it.

“If they’re not performing, their shirt can be quickly taken away from them.

“The boys that aren’t involved at the moment know that in a week’s time they could be starting.

“Everyone’s really on it at the moment and hopefully that continues.

“The culture that we’re setting is around everyone and not just the starting XI. I think that’s a really important thing if you want to be successful.”