“Joe Lolley doesn’t score tap-ins” is the joke which always seems to do the rounds whenever the Nottingham Forest ace finds the back of the net.
Most of his strikes tend to be pretty spectacular, hit with venom from range – as with against Birmingham City on Saturday, when a free-kick was rolled in his direction and he unleashed a fierce strike from outside the box.
But the Reds winger is eager to show a different side of his game – and a different method of getting on the scoresheet – in a bid to help Sabri Lamouchi’s team push for promotion.
The club’s reigning Player of the Year admits it will be difficult to top last season, when he bagged 12 goals in 51 appearances, terrorising defences along the way as he found “the form of my life”.
He is confident Lamouchi’s style of play will allow him to shine this time around, though says he is just as happy to chip in with some of the dirty work.
Asked how he can improve on last term, Lolley said: “I’ve just got to try to focus on my performance, then everything else will come – goals and assists.
“Hopefully I’ll score a few scrappier goals! A few more from inside the box would be nice!
“I just want to play well consistently over the season.
“It is difficult to do better than last year.
“But hopefully the style of football over the course of the season, if we can dominate games -in games where we have a lot of the ball - hopefully myself and other players who like to get on the ball can have a lot of joy.”
Prior to that game against the Blues, when he opened the scoring and set up Lewis Grabban for the hosts’ second in a 3-0 win, it had been a fairly quiet start to the campaign from Lolley – at least by his own high standards.
He earned praise from Lamouchi for his unselfish teamwork in the 1-1 draw at Leeds United, in particular. And the 26-year-old says some of the defensive duties he helps out with can be just as important as racking up the goals.
“You’re always disappointed when you don’t get the win, and you look back and think about things you could have done better,” Lolley said.
“I want to try to score, I want to try to assist, I want to help the team as much as possible every game.
“Sometimes you don’t play as well as you’d like to.
“I was probably in the form of my life last year when we went to Elland Road (a 1-1 draw), and it was probably the same sort of game as this time. I didn’t touch the ball too much and defended a lot of the game.
“With the ball, it’s hard against Leeds because they press so quickly. It’s difficult for any attacker to go and express themselves in that sort of game.
“Any attacking player, they know they have to go there and do a job for their team. That’s what we’re paid to do – work hard for the team.
“It’s important to do that, and we got our reward in that game with the 1-1 draw.
“I just focus on doing what I can for the team, and hopefully the other games will take care of themselves.”
And while he is keen to keep progressing in the Garibaldi, in a bid to help the Reds reach the Premier League, Lolley says he will not be setting any personal targets this season.
“I haven’t really made any targets. I don’t like to make such targets, or give myself goals in that respect,” said the former Huddersfield Town man.
“I just try to concentrate on hopefully playing well and staying in the team, and winning as a team.
“If I can score goals and make assists, that will help and they will come as long as everything else is in place.
“Personally, I don’t like to set myself many targets.”
