This season has been a steep learning curve for Azor Matusiwa. He arrived from the French top flight last summer, set to compete with Town icon and skipper Sam Morsy for a spot in the Blues’ engine room.
But Morsy departed unexpectedly, and suddenly Matusiwa was the starter in the seek-and-destroy defensive midfield role that the captain had made his own. He even took Morsy’s number five shirt too. No pressure.
His first game against Birmingham was a baptism of fire, as he has since had acknowledged. The pace and physicality of the Championship came as something of a shock to his system.
But since then, he has flourished. Indeed, the £7.8m Town paid Rennes for him increasingly looks like an absolute steal.
Part of the adaption to the Championship saw him pick up nine yellow cards in the first 19 league games. The game he was banned for after collecting five saw Town crumble 3-0 at home to Charlton.
So naturally, when it became apparent Matusiwa would have to survive 17 more games without being booked to avoid a two-game ban, there was concern.
But somehow, he’s done it. From the defeat at Leicester City on December 13th to last weekend’s win at Sheffield Wednesday, Matusiwa’s record has been spotless.
It is a remarkable achievement from a player who is vital to Town’s success. So, has he surprised himself?
Matusiwa replaced iconic former skipper Sam Morsy in the Town engine room (Image: Ross Halls)
“Surprised?” he replies. “To be honest, I told the guys already when I was on nine… I told them, listen, I do not know how, but I will get through it. Everyone was laughing. Now I am here.
“People are saying I did a really good job. It is hard to be honest, especially in this league and the position I am playing in. It is so hard to not get booked, to be honest.
“I think I did a really good job, to be honest.”
He continued: “Also adaptation a little bit, knowing exactly the league, knowing the referees.
“I struggled with this at the start of the season, but I think I probably know now what it takes and what you can do and maybe when you can do something and when you cross the line.
“I had a couple of close calls, to be honest. Yes, so maybe in those moments I’ve been safe, but I had also some bookings that were really light. I think it’s a little bit of a compensation between the two.
“For me, I think I’ve adjusted a lot. I’ve adjusted a lot, but I kept playing my game.”
Azor Matusiwa has been one of the stars of the season forTown (Image: Ross Halls)
Asked if he had to tailor his game – considering he plays a role in which he has to make challenges and get his foot in to win balls back – he admitted: “Of course you think about it in the game.
“When you have a 50-50 duel, sometimes you are like, okay, where you go 100% in the duel, maybe this time you are going 50-60%.
“Still with the mentality of I want to win the duel, but you have to be more careful. I am happy that I can play in freedom now. I do not have to think about any cards no more.
“This is a nice feeling.”
So, are we going to see a few thumping challenges now the slate has been wiped clean?
“I can let go a little bit more, but I will not do stupid things or smash people now,” he laughed.
“I will take a little bit more risk maybe with my tackles and with my drills, but I will not do stupid things because I got through it now.”
Another recent concern was Matusiwa’s hamstring, which saw him subbed off late in that dramatic 3-3 draw at Stoke City. He recovered to play last weekend, and is raring to go against Millwall.
“I am feeling better,” he stressed. “It felt a little bit tight, to be honest, a little bit sore.
“That is why I asked for a change, but I am feeling much better now than it felt on Tuesday and the last game.”
Matusiwa faced ex-skipper Sam Morsy with his new side Bristol City back in January (Image: Ross Halls)
Matusiwa’s resilience has also been remarkable. He’s played 37 games in all competitions – all starts – this season so far, having never played more than 32 before.
“I’m feeling fresh and fit,” he insisted. “Of course, sometimes you have a little pain, but I’m feeling well and I can play with it. I don’t think that any player plays pain-free, so I think you need also this kind of pain.
“It’s feeling really good. To be honest, I’ve played, I think, 37 games or something like this. I’ve never done it in my life, so I’m also surprised that my body is still good to go, because it’s something hard for the body if it’s not used to it.
“I’m feeling well and I’m happy that I’m still fit and that I’m not struggling with injuries or something.”
That will be news to every Town fans’ ears as they head to Portman Road for a huge third hosts fourth clash with Millwall tomorrow. The two sides met on Boxing Day, in what was a hard-fought 0-0 draw at The Den.
Town and Millwall drew 0-0 at The Den on Boxing Day (Image: Ross Halls)
“It was a tough game on Boxing Day,” he reflected. “I think we played well, to be honest, but it’s never easy to play Millwall away.
“There should be another tough game tomorrow and we are ready for the fight. We know their strength. We know their fragilities.
“We know what to do and what it takes to win. We have to find a way because in this stage of the season, it’s also not important how you win. It’s about getting the wins.
“Of course, you want to do it with good football, with good performance, but we will have to find a way to take the three points tomorrow and to keep going.”
Skipper Dara O’Shea admitted recently that Town do feel the pressure as the business end of the season approaches.
Dara O’Shea recently admitted that Town do feel the pressure of the promotion race (Image: Ross Halls)
Asked about that, Matusiwa replied: “Yeah, but there’s pressure on Coventry as well, on Middlesbrough as well.
“I think you have pressure and you have good pressure. I think this is good pressure. I think if we could sign for this, for the place where we’re at at the moment, at the beginning of the season, we would sign it.
“Now it’s up to us to win the game because we have everything in our own hands. It’s up to us to keep winning games.”