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Luton – Disappointing News Relating To Loan Signing

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It is probably fair to say that the Luton Town support were a little disappointed when Tom Ince did not star for the Hatters against Huddersfield Town, last Saturday.

Instead, Luton’s deadline day signing, albeit on loan, had to be content with just seven minutes of action after coming on as a substitute.

Yesterday, we ran a new style article – luton-you-are-in-the-managerial-hot-seat – where we asked you to pick the eleven you would start with for the forthcoming weekend fixture against Birmingham City, at St Andrews.

Unsurprisingly, the name of Tom Ince has featured heavily in the selections.

But, unless Nathan Jones is playing a good poker hand, I would not bet on Ince being in the starting eleven.

Jones, talking to the local media and as reported by Luton Today, has inferred he does not know when Ince will start, remarking when pushed on the subject:

“I don’t know, but we’ll know when it is as we’ve got to get him up to speed quickly and we want to do that.

“We’ve got to do it safely as the last thing we want to do is force him, try to get him to play 90 and then suddenly he pulls a muscle and we don’t get what we need out of him.”

Which all sounds good to me, but playing devils advocate, I cannot understand why Ince, who knew a move was possible, did not keep his fitness levels up at the level required to immediately play when a club came in for him.

Continuing, it appears that Nathan may have been aware of the situation when he further adds:

“We’ve got 19 games, so imagine if we get Tom Ince at his best for 12, 14 of those games, then it’s been worthwhile and that’s what we’ve got to think of.

“It’s making sure that he gets game time and gets up to speed as he hasn’t played since the end of December.

“So if you haven’t played since then, the Championships, an unforgiving league, to try and throw someone in really and expect them to impact and that’s the thing.”

Therefore, it could be as late as mid-March before Ince starts to make the impact we all hoped he might when his signing was announced, let us hope it is worth the wait.

COYH’s

Birmingham City v Luton Town?

Birmingham City to Win!

Birmingham City to Win!

Luton Town to Win!

Luton Town to Win!

A Draw!

A Draw!

Previous article by Mad Hatter

Luton – Stood In The Oak Road Stand

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5 comments

  • Chris winter says:

    Hi mh, like you I’m amazed by Jones comments. An I agree that it makes no sense to sign a player who is unfit to start. I’m sure Ince is the sort of player who trains consistently unless he had been dumped with the kids an not the first team. I’m beginning to think Jones is losing it!!!. Seriously a good player not available to start for 3 or 4 games as not up to it come on

  • Nathan says:

    Constantly keeping players happy. Play your best team to win, I think he is trying not to put out certain players who should be dropped. He justifies it because he wants people to sign new contracts and gives them game time instead of playing a better player who is in on loan (not likely to be made permanent) and isn’t our player as such. Still think he needs to shake things up, I said the other day we need players to score. Collins 1 in 9 and was due a goal at the very least. He’s afforded a lot of time intact over 65+ games across two seasons, Hylton 7-8 games worth of minutes in that time at this level and is expected by fans to perform, when it’s still less games without a goal than Collins 9 without. It’s worth giving someone else a run and a chance to show what they can offer instead of the same old faces who are out of form.

  • paul says:

    Sounds like good business by stoke if you ask me.
    Send him to Luton pay his ages while we get him fit?
    If he isn’t fit, then why is he on the bench, and why did we risk him getting injured by sending him on in an intensive last few minutes against Huddersfield.
    Also whatever happened to okane, are we still paying his wages? he may as well play the last 10 minutes.
    it’s about time or interviewees ask serious questions , instead of these soft interviews.

  • Danny says:

    Ince is on 30k a week, Stoke were so desperate to off load him they’re covering 3/4 of his wages. In return, we get a quality former 10m player for relative peanuts without breaking our wage structure. They’ll be hoping to get a returning player with no future at the club who’ll hopefully do enough with us to put himself in the shop window to attract some offers. We get a top draw player for a third of the season who can help get us over the line and bank another 6m next season, sounds like a win win situation to me.
    Match fitness only comes from playing competitive games not training, there is no shortcut, however 10m players don’t just sit at home doing nothing all week, i’d expect him to get increased minutes on Saturday and a player in his prime to be up to full speed very shortly.
    I’d take NJ’s comments with a pinch of salt, his interview a week ago talked about Morrell & Bree’s sudden absence after previously stating he had a fully fit squad pre- Blackburn. He explained why he doesn’t like to give accurate answers to players returning from injury/fitness as it gives other teams too much information.

    COYH

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