In football, difficult and challenging decisions have to be made, sometimes against the wishes of some.
Time is of the essence in this wonderful game of ours, it is so easy, despite warnings, to slip into an abyss from which it becomes impossible to recover.
It has not been the start to the 2024/2025 season we’d all hoped or, indeed just 2 wins from 9 EFL Championship games played, is a poor return considering Luton Town were operating as a Premier League side this time last year.
If you look at the statistics since that wonderful afternoon, in May 2023 at Wembley, you’ll find that the Hatters have only managed 8 wins in 47 fixtures, not anything we should be shouting about.
But, considering how we have performed this season, something is clearly amiss when it comes to the current tenure of Rob Edwards.
Back in the summer, in a series we ran here on Vital Luton Town, a series which culminated in the following article – your-best-ever-5-managers-revealed – whereby Edwards was voted as the second best manager in our history.
Indeed, Edwards standing at the club was such that he was awarded a new 4-year deal by the Hatters hierarchy.
So what has gone so dramatically wrong?
Off the cuff I could suggest poor transfer dealings, tactics, players played out of position and injuries just to set the ball rolling.
But something is clearly amiss, indeed, our inept showing at Bramall Lane was poor enough for Luton Town to be described by the Sky Sports football pundit, Alan McInally, as a ‘bang average’ side, something I wouldn’t, currently, argue with.
Following the reverse, at Bramall Lane, yesterday, we have just under two weeks before our next EFL Championship fixture when we welcome our near-neighbours, Watford, to Kenilworth Road.
Now I can’t help wondering whether, despite being given the equivalent of a vote of confidence, Rob Edwards tenure as our manager might have ended before he faces another team he has managed.
Talking to the media, after the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Sheffield United and as reported by the BBC, Edwards uttered the following:
“It’s on me, I’ve got to fix it. I’ll try to give clarity, we’ll work hard on and off the pitch to make sure we fix certain areas that we’re not doing well at the moment.”
But will he get the opportunity or will the axe fall?
Perhaps we’re at the stage whereby Edwards has lost the dressing room, something that can be catastrophic when it comes to managerial reigns.
Please feel free to air your views in the comment facility beneath this article.
But, if you are of the opinion change is indeed needed, who would you appoint next?
Is It Time For A Change At The Managerial Helm?
YES!
NO!
COYH
Previous article by Mad Hatter
Luton Town – Yet Another Disappointing Result Up In South Yorkshire
If a change comes I don’t care who it is as long as he’s got balls and shows the players that he means business by getting tough. He can be an old time manager or foreign he can take us back to playing boring games until results improve then get us playing football but for me it’s results first.But don’t bring Nathan back for a third go he an Edwards are of the same mold time for something totally different.
Quite agree chris. What got me yesterday was 3 forwards on the bench & Clark was played upfront ? Walters, right footed, on the left, Doughty, left footed, on the right. Fine trying things when you’re getting results, but not when things are this bad. Also why is Doughty taking every corner & free kick, they are woeful at the moment.
Hi MH. Edwards performance is enough to get him sacked but I doubt it will happen. We shouldn’t be a hire and fire club like some but sometimes it is inevitable. However the board are not likely to sack because of the compensation due from a four year deal. If he stays I think the players will be queuing up to leave in January. Perhaps the old trick of a sideways move ( director of football) might work and bring in an experienced head coach. But who?
Hi bill, new contract notwithstanding it is likely that it has performance related clauses in it. That could be enough to drop any compo.
Too close to give a verdict for me… the heart says, back the team, back rob, back the boys, transition period, injuries etc….
But the head is screaming that something broken at the moment is not going to be righted anytime soon without a short sharp shock…
The only time we look dangerous is when we turn around and pass it straight into the path of their most forward man, slicing our own back 3 to shreds…
We don’t look like we have any idea what we should be doing at any point in the match, passes either going straight out of play, behind the man who it is sent to and forcing him to barely keep it in play or given straight to opposition… all in our own defensive 3rd.
IF we had a large number of players fit and up to speed, IF Ade wasn’t massively out of form, IF Pelly was good enough for this league, IF Walsh (and a number of others) could keep their heads under pressure… maybe we’d be on a roll and flying…
All that said, I still hope RE can turn it around fast and the boys (as always) prove me hugely wrong.
Remember Alex Ferguson had a torrid season at Man U his first year , near the bottom. But they stuck with him & look at the result after that !
I still hope Rob can turn it around v.
Dont see how he can lose the dressing room since its having too many players OFF form that is the biggest problem.
They must take a big chunk of the blame .
Don’t know what is wrong, but the whole atmosphere at the Oxford game left me really quite concerned. Never seen RE so vociferous and agitated. Looked like a man under pressure for sure. Also players didn’t seem to be listening or taking on board what RE was trying to tell them.
Also I don’t buy into this lack of confidence mantra. Too easy an excuse IMO.
And yesterday, too slow to the ball, closing down and a general lack of urgency. I agree with a lot of what Steve has written
Just a couple of points that I am throwing out there…………….
1. Does anyone else agree with me that Mengi and McGuiness seem to have an issue between them?
2. The team is missing a real leader on the pitch like Lockyer was. Morris, Bell, Clark as captains. Really? Great guys, but leaders??
3. Maybe RE needs a better no.2 at the moment to help him through this crisis? MH?
Finally Roby makes a valid point about Ferguson, but I wonder if the lack of form of so many players at the same time is down to them not buying into what RE is trying to do?
Hey Tony,
Not sure if McGuiness is struggling with the formation or is reading of the game is off, gets caught a lot on wrong foot or slightly out of shape to have an effect at covering (first goal Sheffield utd prize example)
Mengi at least shows he is trying to push through this slump, seems to be our best forward option at the moment.
Leaders again McGuiness was meant (or so I thought) was supposed to help this role, if we are this far down the pecking order for who has the armband, then let him sink or swim and feel the price tag a little to set an example.
Dunno what is going on behind the signs, we can only read the body language as you have rightly pointed out. Sure MH isn’t sitting on his hands at the moment as a spectator, absolute legend and sure he is engaged (you hope).
Overall, we look like we are trying to be EPL standard and have the right to a possession based game each week, but that has rarely been our strength (last 3 seasons we have looked worst when teams let us have the ball) so all this passing around without any penetration isn’t going to worry anyone…
Still feel that one week we are going to absolutely destroy somebody when it all clicks (cough cough, next match, please!)
While I am not a Hatters supporter, I have mentioned the dismissal of Edwards to a lifelong supporter, 4 matches back. You were quick to get shot of the 2 Joness, Now it’s time to change
What??????
Nathan cleared off.
I honestly believe that certain players, whose heart just is not in it, do not want to be at the club. Eli and Alfie to name just two, yes Alfie’s signed a new contract, but I think it was because the right money was not offered during the transfer window, so he wasn’t left with much of a choice!
I know there are players out injured, but I believe the problem is more deep rooted than just that, cannot really offer a reason for it, but as others have mentioned, something needs to be sorted out before the visit of Watford, as I think losing that game could well signal the end of RE’s tenure.
Hi Steve,
You sum things up really well. Yes lets hope it’s against shitford that it all clicks!!!
Hi Sean,
We did get shot of Graeme Jones – sadly not soon enough IMO, but Nathan Jones got on his bike for Stoke and Soton respectively dreaming of bigger things!
I agree it’s time for a change, but what kind of change? If we knew more of what goes on behind the scenes it may be easier to make a comment. Like many I think the Shitford game could be a pivotable moment for our club, especially RE and co.
However, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ does come to mind.
Having been lumbered with some right awful managers over the years, I agree we need to be careful. However, RE needs to shake things up (and, no, bringing Woodrow on with 20 minutes to go isn’t it).
You mention events behind the scenes, I’d sure like to know why Taylor seems to not even be in the mix for a starting place.
You say he needs to shake things up, but would you prefer if we were playing even worse? Maybe he’s already getting the best out of this current squad.
If we are honest with ourselves, he massively over-performed with shit players for two years. Now we’ve got an even worse squad and he just isn’t able to get them to work. That isn’t his fault, it’s the club/Gary Sweet’s fault. If he’s so tight he won’t fork out some money for us to get an actual decent forward, I don’t think he should be burning millions to sack one of the best managers we have ever had.
It’s a helluva’ PL hangover. Our defenders look like they’re surprised to have teams like (haha, “teams like …”) Oxford attacking them and our forwards appear to be waiting for a polite invitation to attack the ball in the box.
Everybody, aside from 3 or 4 players, is having a nightmare. It’s like Rob has watched last season’s highlights and has decided that we’re still the same team in the same league. Somebody should speak to him and point out the realities of our situation.
If Eli is half the guy I think he is, he’d go in to see RE and tell him that he needs to be dropped now, for the good of everybody. What’s the old phrase about stupidity being repeating something and expecting a different result?
So after very nearly keeping us in the premier league with little to no spending, he then has some key players taken away, with virtually no extra investment in the squad from Gary Sweet. We would have stayed up last year with a better strike force, and now Adebayo is showing that he isn’t even really Championship level, if we are completely honest.
I hope they don’t sack the manager, because it will be a waste of money and only make the situation worse. Unfortunately it seems the doom & gloom’ers have already made their mind up. I’ve written off this half of the season, we can write it off completely if GS doesn’t pull his wallet out and sign a forward in January.
We are not Watf#rd. If you bother to check our 2 previous seasons in this division you will see despite a slow start we managed to finish in the playoffs both times. We are Luton Town so man up and get behind the players and staff because the stronger the team, the stronger the team.
I don’t recall saying sack RE. I’m questioning his man management & tactics……but he isnt helping his cause at the moment.
The team in previous seasons showed fight & togethernes & put in decent performances. At the moment this squad look disillusioned & like strangers, that’s the big difference.
I agree with Alan we can have a poor start.But the hard facts say this current pool of players apart from the new boys look dispondant confused lack confidence direction and frankly disinterested that is down to the coaching staff not doing a good job. And it shows no signs of abating. Now I don’t know if you are the John still or using that as your moniker. But if you are the real one John please step in and help the club take over and get us back on track.
I think sacking RE would be a mistake. He is an honest man who has done remarkably well, way above expectations, for the last 2 years or so. I said a couple of weeks ago that I didn’t expect more than 10 points last year and ltfc finished above 2 others, well done. I think there is an element of sulking in those players who consider themselves above 2nd tier and RE is trying too many ideas thus confusing the players. My view is that somebody, MH would be best, sits down and straight talks him into settling his mind down and manage how he has done for the last 2 years …calmly. We now have nobody except possibly Karminsky fit for the top level. Recognise that and get them to play as they did 2 years ago.
Bring back Jesse Pye… I don’t suppose many will know what I’m talking about there.
I would say yes but at the same time I would allow 2 more games to put things right if not then show him the back door.
I don’t recall saying sack RE. I’m questioning his man management & tactics……but he isnt helping his cause at the moment.
I don’t know if anyone agrees with me but in my gut something has felt “off” at the club since preseason. It just didn’t feel like past seasons on the recruiting front, and the alarm bells for me started ringing when the lad from Belgium (I think) was at the club due to sign, then all of a sudden went back home citing that the deal was off due to an internal conflict at the club. There might not be anything in that, but for me preseason was the starting point of this mess. I just don’t know why.
I think we need a change. This all started in pre-season when he was playing players out of position (like Ogbene a naturally left sided wing back as a right back), sticking to a three at the back when a four at the back would suit McGuiness and Mengi and insisting to playing out from the back when he’s playing Adebayo as a lone Stricker when that means the midfield have to sit deeper and he doesn’t have anyone to knock it down too.
He keeps putting it on the players saying he is picking the right system and the players have to get used to it, but when you are bits of one system and bits of another it doesn’t work.
Their are issues we have had for the last three seasons like being light on the right hand side which we could have sorted last season with resigning Stacey but he has let it get worse this season by selling Townsend and Ogbene and releasing Onyedinma and only signing Nelson.
The team don’t seem to have faith in the system and in what he is trying to get them to do and it is showing in every game. They seem not to know what each other is doing or is expected of them in situations and thats from the defence, midfield and upfront.
There is no one answer but I think the beginning of of the problem started in the January transfer period when the club failed to buy ( or loan ) at least 3-4 players to try and avoid relegation and at least have a couple of extra faces already in place to cover for the loanees going back to their parent clubs and the fairly obvious loss of Barclay and even Townsend….
It would also have been cover for the awful injuries that stacked up.
It also makes a big difference being the underdog rather than the favourite – everyone wants to beat a favourite and a recent Premier League team.
Kick up the arse or an arm round the shoulder – I’m not sure which but don’t you think RE might just be ‘ Jurgen Klopped ‘ – he almost single handedly made to supporters LTFC their 2nd club
To lose him would be a real shame and I think, the wrong move…. He needs some help sure but he did it once before and he’ll be successful again !
But the tactics and formation he’s deploying isn’t working and he won’t change it.
He did change it last season by starting Adebayo when at the start of the season he would only put him on with 10 minutes to go, but this season he won’t change what he’s doing.
We have the players to play a back 4 but won’t and when he was asked about it and interview a couple of weeks ago he said “well we start with a back 3 but during the game midfielders come back and help out the back 3 meaning we become a back 4 anyway”.
If you look at it last season and this season that is what costs us goals, midfielders come rushing in and pull the defensive line out of shape meaning you can’t play strikers off-side and leaves the defense in taters, plus I as said in my last post if you are expecting your midfield to be playing that deep to help out your defense and play out from the back you can’t play one upfront as no-one is there to collect the knock downs and support Adebayo.