SONNY’S MESSAGE
Luton skipper Sonny Bradley says the Hatters need to step on the gas
LUTON skipper Sonny Bradley has warned his teammates not to rest on their laurels as they head into today noon’s showdown against Coventry.
The red-hot Hatters made it a club record 20 league games unbeaten when they triumphed 2-1 at Fleetwood last weekend and they’re now in a great position to make it back-to-back promotions.
Heading into the weekend, top of the table Luton were five points ahead of second-placed Barnsley and nine clear of third-placed Sunderland. It’s been a remarkable rise under first Nathan Jones and now Mick Harford, with Jones having departed for Stoke last month.
But centre-back Bradley acknowledges they are now there to be shot at.
“We’re very proud of our achievement – 20 games unbeaten with 16 wins is some record, but we don’t have time to think about it,” said the 27-year-old. “We have got so much more to achieve in terms of promotion and we’re on track to really challenge for the league title.
Challenge
“I’m hopeful we can extend our run for many more games, but we know that teams will look at us as the best team in the division right now and anyone we do play, like Coventry on Sunday, will want to be the ones that beat us.
“Everyone is going to step it up against us. If that’s the case, we have to step it up and play even better if we want to achieve our goals.”
Some might be surprised that Luton are in with a great shout of achieving successive promotions, but Bradley isn’t one of them. When he left Plymouth last summer, he sensed the Hatters wouldn’t just make the numbers up in the third tier.
“I met with Nathan Jones, who is highly ambitious, and he wanted to be in the top six at least,” said Bradley. “I knew the squad, I’d played against a lot of the players here, I knew the division and I knew this team would be in the mix come the end of the season.
“It was a case of my ambition matching the club’s. I had a brilliant two years at Plymouth (including promotion to League One), I loved it, but going into this season I wasn’t sure what Plymouth wanted to do. Coming to Luton, I had a clear vision.
“Of course, it’s easy saying that now because of the position we’re in, but I said it from the moment I joined.
“We have played some really good football this season and been resilient – we can fight and play football. Now we’ve got to keep it going for 13 more games.”
When Jones left for the Potters, many wondered if Luton would wobble, but the transition has been seamless under Hatters legend Harford, who had been chief recruitment officer before stepping up.
Since then, Luton have won six and drawn one of Harford’s seven games at the helm. The interim boss, who recently turned 60, will stay in charge until the end of the season, when the Hatters will look to appoint a permanent successor to Jones.
“Mick has been brilliant,” said Bradley. “When he first stepped in, he said, ‘Nothing is going to change, we want you to keep doing what you’re doing’. That’s what’s happened, he hasn’t changed too much.
Boost
“When he was given the job until the end of the season, it gave us a little boost. We need to back him to the hilt and he will do the same for us.”
As Coventry come to town, Bradley’s main focus will be on keep- ing things tight at the back – but he’d love a goal, too. He has yet to score in 37 games this term.
“I have probably had more chances this season than in any other in my career, but I just can’t score,” he groaned. “The boys have given me a bit of stick, but I have to take it on the chin. I feel like it’s coming and I hope it’s as soon as possible. I can’t remember the last time I scored!”