Luton: Manager wants experience

Luton Manager Kevin Blackwell has outlined his plans to bring in some experience to blend with the young squad he currently has at Kenilworth Road

He feels that the pressure of trying to return to the Championship at the first attempt will be too much for the youngsters alone.

Kevin said on the club’s official website:

‘There is a lot of pressure on their young shoulders and the only way they can learn is to throw them in at the deep end.

‘The problem is, if you throw too many of them in at once then you are going to lose one or two.

‘Chris Coyne is now the most experienced player on the pitch and he’s only just turned 28, so he’s only just reaching his prime.

‘At the moment we’ve got a lot of apprentices but we are short on masters, so I’ve got to try and equalise that for next season.’

Blackwell predicted a very busy summer as he rebuilds but refused to name any targets as it is too early, but he obviously does not wish to alert other clubs to players he is interested in signing.

He did seem to suggest that outgoing players will be his first priority saying:

‘I can’t predict who’s coming and who’s going because I don’t know exactly what is going to happen during the summer.

‘We’ll just have to see how things develop. There are people out of contract as well, and I have the unenviable job of saying to some players that their time at Luton Town is up and move them on.

‘I have to create some holes to get other players in as we need a change in personnel in certain areas.’

He is also mindful that Luton’s relegation may attract the vultures looking to pick at the last meat on the Town’s carcass.

‘You never know if a club could come out of the blue and try and attract one of our players.

‘Because we are going down a division we are a target for other clubs who may want some of our players.’

It seems certain that Markus Heikkinen will make one of the holes Blackwell was looking for having run down his contract, and it seems likely that Leon Barnett will move on, possibly to Reading, which should provide some funds for transfers in.