LUTON TOWN
LAST SEASON
CHAMPIONSHIP 6th FA CUP Fifth Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Elijah Adebayo ( 17)
FAN FILE
Last season was a statement of intent and an incredible achievement, given our budget and injury woes late on. This season will be different because there’s no Kal Naismith, for a start. Also, I think we might try to adapt our style to be more possession- based.
Our key player will be Allan Campbell, the Lanarkshire Kanté. His ability to press defines the way we play and he never, ever stops running.
Our most underrated player is Reece Burke [ below] – a talented defender. Look out for Dion Pereira, who had an excellent loan at Bradford last season. If boss Nathan Jones puts faith in him, it could be a great year for the winger. The player I’d happily drive to
another club is Dan Potts. It feels a bit harsh even writing it, but he just isn’t at this level.
I won’t be happy unless we sort out our lack of first- choice keeper and sign a progressive, defensively astute defensive midfielder.
The opposition player who grinds my gears is Stoke’s Nick Powell. He has a tendency to score against us, and is as aggressive in his whinging as he is in his bullying of defenders. The pantomime villain will be
Nathan Jones, as always – fortunately for us, he’s now the pantomime villain for every other club in the league. The thing my club really gets right is ethics. We were the first EFL club to be accredited as a Living Wage employer, and we’ve rejected sponsorship money from gambling companies. The one change I’d make would be getting the new ground at Power Court built as quickly as possible. I’m least looking forward to playing
Birmingham on the opening day of the season. They stuck eight past us last term with no reply, despite them willingly handing out three points to almost everybody else.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that we wouldn’t want anybody else at the helm. He is constantly evolving and adapting as a manager, and grows more tactically astute with every year.
Fans think our ownership is ethical, aspirational and sustainable. What more could you want?
We’ll finish 8th.
FFT VERDICT 9TH
Thanks to the club’s intelligent recruitment and Jones’ excellent coaching, Luton recorded their highest finish in 30 years. With a new stadium on the horizon, there are plenty of reasons to be positive – even if this season isn’t quite as enthralling as the last.