Luton’s Fixture Congestion Does Not Augur Well For The Future
Luton supporters are hoping that our recent dip in form, whereby we have lost the last two Championship matches, can be reversed when the team head off to Hillsborough to play Sheffield Wednesday this Saturday.
Ahead of the game, as reported by Luton Today, Nathan Jones has given an insight into the problems his side face in what is a truncated season.
It is fair to say that the number of games the Hatters face is a concern in itself with Luton facing 7 games in 21 days and then another 9 in just 29 games.
A hectic schedule to say the least.
Talking about the aforementioned hectic schedule, Nathan had this to say:
“We started fresh and were in good form but now it’s started to catch us up a little bit, as we haven’t been able to freshen it up.
“We’ve got to utilise the squad and that’s why we have the squad we have you have to do that and find a balance.”
Continuing, Nathan then highlighted the problems injuries have brought when it comes to keeping the squad fresh, further adding:
“Sometimes it takes people time to get fit. If you’re rolling results out like we did at the beginning of the season, then the games come thick and fast and you don’t mind that.
“At the minute, it’s starting to take its toll and it will, it will on everyone.
“It’s how you come through these things because this isn’t going to ease up, it’s literally until May.”
In the last two fixtures, against Stoke City (h) and Millwall (a), it is fair to say that the Luton defence has come in for criticism, but is that fair?
Perhaps not when you consider the further info given by Nathan:
“A lot of players are having to do a lot of big shifts at the moment and that’s taking a lot away from us.
“The same back four have had to play for a long, long time and they look out on their feet.
“We’ve had one left back fit (Norrington-Davies) and he played six 90 minutes, then got his first call-up to Wales.
“He had two weeks training and then a 90 minutes two days before he was going to play for us, so it’s just really difficult at the minute to get any real freshness.
“James Bree and Dan Potts are the injured full backs that could give the other full backs respite who have played nine 90 minutes, pretty much.
“It’s tough to do in the Championship.”
Unfortunately, with the hectic schedule and with the difficulties clubs are having playing under COVID-19 restrictions, I fear it isn’t going to get any easier.
If that is the case then we have to get behind everyone who is doing their best for the Hatters cause, even if, due to fixtures being played behind-closed-doors, it has to be done from afar.
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