Luton Town – Straight From The Heart

Occasionally, a comment is left on this web site that deserves more than just lurking at the foot of an article.

Earlier in the week, one such comment was posted by Neale Bray, a regular visitor to our site and, as explained above, I felt it needed a wider audience, wit Neale analysing why we are not seeing any improvement in our play, on a regular basis.

Hence it has been developed into an article.

See what you think and please feel free to add your own thoughts in our comment facility.

Take it away Neale:

There will be no general improvement because the main issues lie in the squad assembled and not in form.

Rob Edwards is largely at fault for not working within the obvious, limited parameters.

At the end of last season, in a single interview he said that we were “in a good position to hold onto our main squad”, that we didn’t really need to bring in players but that we had the funds available if we wished to do so.

WRONG, WRONG and WRONG.

We predictably lost nine match day players (if you include Locks), including seven starters:

• Barkley,
• Townsend,
• Kabore,
• Lokonga,
• Onyedinma

and

• Berry

were obvious, Osho always was problematic in renewing a contract and we were never going to turn down £10m for Ogbene.

So by default, we did need to bring in players and, to mitigate the loss of continuity, some of this should have been done in the summer so that they didn’t all miss pre-season along with the legacy of injured players.

The upshot was a poor preseason, new players who hadn’t been given a change to gel and a manager who hasn’t had a chance to familiarise himself with them.

Moreover, with the exception of McGuiness, no significant funds were available; looking at the calibre of those brought in, the packages would be quite modest.

During the summer, lots of good players were available for free and for probably modest packages. I’m not saying all of these would come or necessarily fit but:

• McNair,
• Drameh,
• O’Hare,
• Chambers,
• Willock,
• Crooks

and

• Godden

are examples.

Instead, Rob Edwards has built an injury prone squad: he inherited Bell and Burke, Nakamba is already known, Andersen had become known by summer, Walsh, Holmes, Hashioka and Walters have careers littered with serious unavailability through injury and yet Rob Edwards constantly talks about Nirvana when we will have a fully fit squad.

Mate, it ain’t gonna happen especially with our style of aggressive, athletic press and medical team who must take their practices from Dr Hibbert from The Simpsons.

Great analysis from Neale, I’d say.

Not sure about the last few words, a bit harsh on a medical team that are, at times, swamped by the quantity of players seeking medical needs, but the rest, I’d say, is spot on.

But is it something you concur with, or would you beg to differ with Neale?

Lease feel free to have your say in the comment facility beneath this article.

COYH

Previous article by Mad Hatter

Luton Town – Even The Opposition Support Are Puzzled By Our Demise