Two years ago, Luton were heading to Wolves for a Premier League game, and were only a week away from beating Everton at Goodison.
This weekend, the Hatters come to Sincil Bank, with a 3-2 League One defeat against Plymouth Argyle as their most recent outing. They’re doing okay this season – they’re two places below us with a game in hand and better goal difference, but a defeat at the Bank would be a huge blow to Matt Bloomfield’s quest to achieve a Championship promotion.
Ahead of the game, Bloomfield and Kai Naismith have addressed some of the issues at Kenilworth Road right now.
Players Feel the Heat as Fans Voice Frustration
Defeat to Argyle proved the tipping point for many supporters. Luton had levelled the game through a Nahki Wells penalty and then saw Argyle captain Joe Edwards sent off, leaving them with 40 minutes against ten men.
Instead of capitalising, the Hatters were sunk by a late own goal, sparking jeers at full time. Club captain Naismith admitted that both he and the team had fallen short of expectations in recent weeks.
“It’s hard to assess, so, so hard to assess. We’re just disappointed, angry, frustrated, the same as the fans really. I get it, I hear them and I completely understand. They know, they know that we’re better, they know we’re better players than that. We feel the fans, we feel them at the end booing and we get it. They know what they’re watching and we know we’re not at the level, so we’ve spoken about it.”
The 33-year-old did not shy away from personal accountability, pointing to his own form as below the required level.
“The goals are obviously disappointing, we have a lot of possession second half, we just don’t create anything like we should be creating. We should be moving the ball better and creating better chances and that’s down to me. I’ve been disappointing, I’ve been poor, I take that, so we can be better.”
With only two penalties scored across 45 shots in their last two games, the lack of cutting edge has been plain. Naismith stressed that the group’s commitment cannot be doubted, but insisted standards must improve quickly.
“I can absolutely guarantee the fans there is no lack of effort. We’ve got a great changing room, we drive it every day, there’s not one bit of lack of discipline from anyone. We’ve got a great group of players, leaders in the changing room that demand that every single day, the manager demands, so it’s not that. I know we’ve got that and we can put this right and go on a run.”
Bloomfield Demands a Clinical Edge
While the captain looked inward, manager Matt Bloomfield highlighted the glaring issue of finishing. His side registered 22 shots against Cardiff City and 23 more against Plymouth, yet only found the net twice from the spot. That conversion rate, he argued, is unsustainable for a club with ambitions near the top end of League One.
“I don’t think anyone would want me to sit here and talk about stats when you get beaten at home against 10 men, but we’ve had over 40 touches in their box, the Cardiff game there was over 30. Despite that, we’ve only scored penalties. That has to change. We’ve got to be far more clinical with the chances we are creating.”
Bloomfield’s frustration has been compounded by the fact that opponents have punished his team’s errors ruthlessly. Cardiff required only one goal from their six efforts, while Plymouth hit three from just three on target. By contrast, the Hatters were left to rue a mountain of wasted opportunities.
Pressure On
Luton won’t be a pushover, but it feels like a watershed moment. An Imps win would put six points between us, a healthier gap than three with a game in hand. For me, this spell is where the wheat and the chaff become separated, but which are we? At the beginning of the season, I’d have said chaff, midtable, upper-end chaff, but not a Luton, or a Cardiff.
However, there are no boos at Sincil Bank, apart from those supporters who would boo themselves if they walked past a mirror (JC). No, there is a feeling of positivity, and if we can deal a blow to Bloomfield and his fallen Premier League stars, it would be a huge moment.
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