ROB FEARS UNKNOWN
Hatters boss needs survival guide
LUTON boss Rob Edwards fears that clubs not knowing their fate beyond the last day would be “unbearable”.
And he has urged football authorities to act quickly over points deductions to avoid ‘madness’ at the end of the season.
The Hatters are in a battle for survival with Everton and Nottingham Forest, who have both had points docked for breaking financial rules.
Everton have been hit twice – first with a 10-point cut, reduced to six on appeal, and then a two-point punishment, which they are also appealing.
Forest are appealing against a four-point deduction, with their case to be heard Wednesday.
Everton’s second punishment was not announced until last week and there are fears that the appeal decision will not be known until after the last ball of the Premier League season is kicked on Sunday May 19.
The League said this week that an ‘expedited’ process would be used to speed up Everton’s case, but Edwards said: “I don’t think any of the managers or anybody connected to the clubs who are in this battle now would be any different from me.
“We’re all of the opinion that we’d like to know where we stand going into the final few games.
“I don’t think anyone would say, ‘I quite fancy having another five days of waiting at the end of the season to see where our fate lies.’
“It would be quite a mad situation – certainly unprecedented. I don’t know what I’d be doing in those five days – it would be unbearable.
“All of us would be in the same mindset that we want this situation dealt with as quickly as possible.”
First, Luton must ensure that they stay in with a shout of staying up by taking points off Brentford at Kenilworth Road today.
A massive injury list means that the Hatters will go again with a patched-up defence to try and keep out a Bees attack led by Ivan Toney (inset) – a “brilliant” player, according to Edwards.
The Luton gaffer said: “At Man City last week, against Erling Haaland, our back four was a centre-back, a full-back and two wingers.
“I’m still laughing about it now, otherwise I’d cry. The lads have given everything. I’ve asked a lot of our boys in recent weeks and one or two have suffered because of that.
“But if we hadn’t gone that way, we wouldn’t be in this position points-wise and we wouldn’t still be competing.
“We have to try and go for it.”