| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton 13:56 - Aug 9 with 6736 views | HarryfromBath |
“Pity Luton. People only ever pass through. It is a commuter train station of a town. Every year 10 million people come within fifteen minutes of its centre yet never think to drop in. Luton is a discarded great-aunt with Alzheimer’s we keep meaning to visit. The trouble is, people think she stinks of piss.”
This cruel description of last night’s hosts in Daniel Gray’s ‘Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters’ perpetuates a stereotype with which Hatters are all-too familiar. Gray’s book is about his quest for Englishness through the prism of its regional football clubs and there is even a fine Cobbold-enriched chapter included on us, but the chapter on Luton affirmed my sense that this is a club of ill-omen.
It’s not just Daniel Gray, mind, you see it cropping up on message-boards of teams in the area. Watford are an obvious rival, but Reading, Wycombe, Oxford and even Swindon fans have talked about them in weary tones. If football is a family, Luton are that dodgy uncle who may well have to be invited to the wedding if only because everyone fears the consequences of failing to do so.
My first encounter with the Hatters was in the 1974/75 season. They had just been promoted and we were playing them at home on Boxing Day. Back in Dublin, this 13-year-old keenly looked out for the result, fully confident that Bobby’s team had a nailed on three points here. The news that Luton had won with a Ron Futcher goal was a sharp early lesson in what can easily happen following Ipswich.
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Driving into the town there was a sinking feeling, descending down a concrete ramp surrounded by buddleia and industrial dereliction and the ground itself was no better. It was a dilapidated wreck, a bit like Griffin Park but only after the dementors had paid a visit. Whereas Brentford’s ground gives off a jovial air, Kenilworth Road is unhappy, ramshackle and above all else one seeping frustration.
Chatting with a policeman before the game, I ventured that this should be a straightforward evening. The home crowd would be happy as we never win cup games under Mick. He laughed. “I’m actually here with the away fans and have seen them all… Stevenage, I have even been to Crawley. God, what a night that was.”
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So to the game, and we were set out with a back three with Kenlock and Iorfa as left and right wing-backs and Knudsen, Chambers and Webster protecting Gerken. The midfield had Skuse alongside Downes with Nydam playing between them and a front pair of McGoldrick and Cellina. Luton rested midfielder Alan McCormack and the peppery striker Isaac Vassell but were otherwise full-strength.
Luton began purposefully, with six orange shirts haring down on goal after one early quick break. You could see how they dismantled Yeovil. With quick darting passing and movement, they were showing how a midfield diamond should be played. Andrew Shinnie is a clever playmaker, and it was quickly obvious to see how he had made four assists on Saturday with his inventive link-up play.
The Town chants of “Luton’s a ****hole, I want to go home…” were greeted with ironic applause by the home faithful. I reckon that they run a sweepstake on quickly visiting fans will strike it up. The early skirmishes were energetic but it took a while for any clear pattern of play to emerge and there were few real chances in the first quarter of the game.
The truth was that our unfamiliar line-up was a little disjointed and still getting to know each other. The first half gave those of us in the away end the chance to see our defending up close. Chambers’ strong leadership at the heart of the back line reprised his marshalling of the team at Villa and he had the better of a run of uncompromising clashes with Luton’s front-man James Collins.
As good as Chambers was, I couldn’t help wondering if Adam Webster would offer a more creative passing outlet from the heart of defence. Webster is a brilliant footballing defender who can play an accurate pass without thinking. At one point in the first half he switched play, releasing Myles Kenlock with a sublime cross-field and giving him the space to flash a shot just wide of Luton’s goal.
Collins was Luton’s battering-ram but Shinnie was their string-puller. Cole Skuse had a terrific game stifling him while at the same time navigating his teenage midfield partners Downes and Nydam through what was a tricky game in pretty congested water against Luton’s diamond. Seeing Shinnie try to unsuccessfully con a free-kick out of Skuse and the referee summed up his frustration.
One early moment summed Flynn Downes up. He ripped the ball off a Luton midfielder and carved his was through three Luton challenges before laying the it off neatly. He is fazed by nothing and got stuck in to both the game and the Luton midfield. There is an echo of Luke Hyam about him, but he seems less physical and more comfortable on the ball, making one great Wickham-eqsue run late on.
As we grew in cohesion, so we grew into the game. I was thinking that we had seen little of Celina when the young Kosovan popped up with a nippy run which led to a half-chance for McGoldrick. It was a warning which Luton did not heed, for six minutes later the exact same move led to us taking the lead. Another tricky run throwing Luton’s defenders off balance and Didzy struck home. 1-0.
Celina is different to Tom Lawrence. Last-year’s Leicester loanee was more old-fashioned and more of a winger in many respects. Celina uses his close-quarter technique to good effect, often passing to himself from one foot to the other. He has great natural balance and uses this to unbalance an opponent. Give him space and he can hurt you, but he’s just as dangerous in close-quarter battles.
Luton’s manager Nathan Jones actually had four players who could operate as striker on the pitch. Olly Lee was at the base of their diamond and was less effective than he had been against Yeovil. They still posed a threat, such as when the Jordan Cook’s shot was only parried by Gerkin to Elliott Lee, whose shot from eight-yards managed to hit the roof of the stand just before the interval.
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That miss would have been useful material for Mick’s half-time talk. We had stifled Luton effectively but they were still dangerous opponents, a side with the balance of Lincoln last season but peppered with more dangerous players. As the teams came out after the interval, I couldn’t help thinking of the famous eighties Millwall FA Cup battle as ‘I predict a riot’ inappropriately blared out from the speakers.
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Adam Webster had been targeted by Luton’s harder operators before the break so his withdrawal for Luke Woolfenden came as no surprise. It was difficult to observe the new debutant at close quarters partly because there was far less defending to do. As we grew in cohesion, all of the action was now taking place in Luton’s half.
“Nydam’s a bit lightweight but good on the ball.” The 17-year-old was comfortable keeping it simple in the first half, but seemed to blossom after the break, linking play cleverly and dangerously both with the two strikers and with his wing backs. For his small stature, he was not afraid to get stuck into challenges and richly merited the round of applause which saw him swap for Martyn Waghorn.
The switch around the hour mark made perfect sense. Nydam would have tired in such an intense game but we also lacked some physicality up front. Putting it bluntly, Waghorn is not as big a man as Daryl Murphy, partly because very few people are. He does have a similar physique to Murph, being strong, physical and combative. His playing style, his movement and his positioning are also similar.
A fellow-supporter said earlier in the first half that the wing-backs “had let us down so far”. This was true, but with equal weight the pendulum had swung completely in our favour after the break owing to wing-backs being now fully synchronised with the midfielders and strikers and were getting in behind and stretching the Hatters’ defences and just as importantly pinning them beck.
We saw a lot of Kenlock’s stronger points last night and he blossomed as the game wore on. His work on the ball was comparable to most of the team and there were several moments of solid one-v-one defending. There also one lovely moment in the second half when he slipped through two Luton defenders and squared a lovely ball to McGoldrick who could not quite make the most of it.
It was hard not to be impressed by Dominic Iorfa’s athleticism on the right flank. He will always have his industry to fall back on it things are going well in a game, but you could see him and McGoldrick developing an understanding as the game progressed. Most of his work before the break had been linking with Webster but as we turned the screw he was playing more as an attacking wing-back.
The game was drifting towards a conclusion and Luton were throwing more and more caution to the wind. The hallmark of our defending last night, in an echo of our play-off run, was that although they pushed us back, they had very few actual chances. So often a Luton move would end in a hopeful long-range shot or with the ball being shepherded by Chambers harmlessly through to Gerkin.
The attacking trio of Warghorn’s physicality, Celina’s trickery and McGoldrick’s inventiveness was now quite fun to watch as Luton were unmasked as the League Two side which they were. It was fitting that Iorfa with a deft through-ball and McGoldrick with a pinpoint shot were to combine for the second match-killing goal. Luton players’ heads went down as it crashed home. Game over.
“Oh, David McGoldrick…” As the final whistle sounded, the cheers for our striker were thoroughly merited. He was the linchpin for the side last night, popping up everywhere and even outsprinting a Luton defender to win a set-piece. His inventiveness and link-up play gave the Hatters problems all night and he had clearly got inside their heads. His two goals were fully justified for his contribution.
As McGoldrick walked off it was clear that this performance meant a great deal to him. I was stood away from the crowd as the players drifted off and gave him a big thumbs-up which he reciprocated. His injuries in his time with us have been so frustrating for him and for us. We all know that he can take a game by the scruff of the neck and here he was last night, doing just that.
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Several thoughts popped into my head walking back to the car. The first was that we had subjugated a fine Luton team who should have a decent season. They were coherent and inventive, with talented energetic players working to a coherent plan, but by the end of the game they looked very ordinary and were reduced to playing hit-and-hope football as the game petered out.
The second thought was about our strength in depth. The pattern in previous years pretty much has been one of embarrassing exits in this competition as our lack of depth has been exposed. Our team may not yet be sparking in the way our play-off team did but we have a resilience and a variety of players in the squad which should serve us well as the season throws what it does at us.
Last, and by no means least, was the fact that there appears to be a style of play emerging with a mix of football being played on the deck coupled with controlled longer-range passing and good movement, which is a sharp contrast to the static long-range football we suffered last season. The green shoots emerging may not be just our young players but quite possible our new style of play.
[Post edited 9 Aug 2017 14:47]
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:07 - Aug 9 with 6553 views | BlueBadger |
I'm creating multiple accounts just so I can 'up' arrow this more than once. |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:08 - Aug 9 with 6548 views | allezlesbleus |
Great read.
Also, a big coincidence is that the 1-0 defeat at home to them on Boxing Day,was one of the first memories I have of supporting the Town. |  | | |
| Cheers Bathers, here's hoping the shoots do indeed grow and blossom (n/t) on 14:09 - Aug 9 with 6531 views | Dyland |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:12 - Aug 9 with 6507 views | nshearman1 |
Thanks for that Harry - another clear and perceptive report as always. I do hope you're right in your broader point about green shoots. Respect to Mick for recognising he needed to change his ways, he's recruited well within the limits he still faces, and at last is blooding youngsters and playing players in the positions in which they're comfortable. It was bizarre to go to 3-5-2 at the weekend having not played it all in pre-season but he got the call right and he appears more flexible now. It's a breakthrough getting through Round One of the League Cup! And two wins and two clean sheets. But the optimism must remain cautious - we won 4-2 last season in game 1, and 3-0 at Bristol City a few seasons ago, and both seasons were utter pants. I'm still not convinced we're a top 6 side, and that while ME has loosened the purse-strings I suspect it's not enough for the current state of Championship football. But once again we look forward with hope in our hearts... |  | | |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:15 - Aug 9 with 6477 views | ITFC1983 |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:07 - Aug 9 by BlueBadger |
I'm creating multiple accounts just so I can 'up' arrow this more than once. |
Good idea, al la Gav the other day...
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:16 - Aug 9 with 6465 views | Archer4721 |
Upped just for the use of the word "subjugated"
Terrific! |  | | |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:18 - Aug 9 with 6428 views | Pauls_Cr0wn_Jewells |
Think it was me who stated the full backs "Let us down." perhaps too premature, agree kenlock was excellent second half.
Pleasure to have met you last night. | |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:22 - Aug 9 with 6410 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Nice report.
I always wanted to go to a game at Luton (seriously) but never made it. Didn't we lose an early league cup game there around the late nineties? I remember seeing a packed subjected away end as the goal went in on the highlights. How many did we have there last night? |  | | |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:32 - Aug 9 with 6334 views | Kieran_Knows |
Great report, very good read. |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:42 - Aug 9 with 6260 views | Freddies_Ears |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:32 - Aug 9 by Kieran_Knows |
Great report, very good read. |
Great report. As ever.
Confidence will be well up by now. If we play in the right way on Saturday, Barnsley will need to do well to get anything. | | | |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:56 - Aug 9 with 6182 views | rickw |
Thanks for that - a nice write up! :-) |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:09 - Aug 9 with 6097 views | Mullet |
It's great that Webster is getting unanimous praise, and he and Skuse are vital for Saturday. Weird how the highlights don't make him look very good though.
A cautionary tale for basing everything on 90 second reels etc.
Also, does Luton smell of piss? I bet it does. |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:14 - Aug 9 with 6069 views | ITFC_Forever |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:22 - Aug 9 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Nice report.
I always wanted to go to a game at Luton (seriously) but never made it. Didn't we lose an early league cup game there around the late nineties? I remember seeing a packed subjected away end as the goal went in on the highlights. How many did we have there last night? |
We had around 800 there last night.... first time I have been there too, proper old-school ground, far better than the modern abonimations we have to suffer.
Seem to remember us winning a home leg of the League Cup, but then losing an away leg and going out in the late 90s there. |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:33 - Aug 9 with 5956 views | Stenvict |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:22 - Aug 9 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Nice report.
I always wanted to go to a game at Luton (seriously) but never made it. Didn't we lose an early league cup game there around the late nineties? I remember seeing a packed subjected away end as the goal went in on the highlights. How many did we have there last night? |
Circa 760 | |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:53 - Aug 9 with 5873 views | SWGF |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:09 - Aug 9 by Mullet |
It's great that Webster is getting unanimous praise, and he and Skuse are vital for Saturday. Weird how the highlights don't make him look very good though.
A cautionary tale for basing everything on 90 second reels etc.
Also, does Luton smell of piss? I bet it does. |
He does need to get stronger, defensively/physically. As per the highlights, a couple of mistakes led to chances. He could get bullied by big, ugly Champ strikers but he has the right manager to work on it. The one ping across the pitch was class though. As with Harry, I'm not sure why he's not the central of the three; allow LC to battle and AW to have more of the ball. |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:24 - Aug 9 with 5765 views | Steve_M |
Yes, it was fun last night. Not used to cup ties like that.
Did see you at the front pre-match but had found a decent vantage point without too many pillars in the way. |  |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:43 - Aug 9 with 5701 views | SWGF |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:24 - Aug 9 by Steve_M |
Yes, it was fun last night. Not used to cup ties like that.
Did see you at the front pre-match but had found a decent vantage point without too many pillars in the way. |
"found a decent vantage point without too many pillars in the way"
Translation: next to SWGF
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:54 - Aug 9 with 5643 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:33 - Aug 9 by Stenvict |
Circa 760 |
That's decent | | | |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:57 - Aug 9 with 5622 views | Mullet |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 15:53 - Aug 9 by SWGF |
He does need to get stronger, defensively/physically. As per the highlights, a couple of mistakes led to chances. He could get bullied by big, ugly Champ strikers but he has the right manager to work on it. The one ping across the pitch was class though. As with Harry, I'm not sure why he's not the central of the three; allow LC to battle and AW to have more of the ball. |
I wonder if it's because Chambers can marshal better if he has two relatively inexperienced CB's next to him, he's also the best at last ditch tackles (see last year at Wolves for the penalty that Webster gave away) etc.
While having someone like Webster in the middle should make it easier, really he can still ping it 60 yards from one flank to the other with little hindrance. He did it for Lawrence superbly a few times.
I'm excited to think he might set away Celina more than once a game and/or the big bruisers we have for a cheeky goal or two. | |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:58 - Aug 9 with 5617 views | SWGF |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:52 - Aug 9 by Steve_M |
It was a good view and good company. Although your "Is that Knudsen?" when he brought the ball forward before the second goal was amusing. [Post edited 9 Aug 2017 17:09]
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I thought my balti pie must have been spiked. | |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 17:04 - Aug 9 with 5592 views | SWGF |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 16:57 - Aug 9 by Mullet |
I wonder if it's because Chambers can marshal better if he has two relatively inexperienced CB's next to him, he's also the best at last ditch tackles (see last year at Wolves for the penalty that Webster gave away) etc.
While having someone like Webster in the middle should make it easier, really he can still ping it 60 yards from one flank to the other with little hindrance. He did it for Lawrence superbly a few times.
I'm excited to think he might set away Celina more than once a game and/or the big bruisers we have for a cheeky goal or two. |
You could well be right re: marshalling.
Chambers had a LOT of the ball last night. My only gripe was that he released it very early on occasions when he could have drawn the oppo a bit more before doing so. But it's a learning curve for all. | |
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| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 17:06 - Aug 9 with 5576 views | ericclacton |
Lovely Harry, thanks.
 Joe was very good against Brum. |  | | |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 06:59 - Aug 10 with 5064 views | powinswitch |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 14:12 - Aug 9 by nshearman1 |
Thanks for that Harry - another clear and perceptive report as always. I do hope you're right in your broader point about green shoots. Respect to Mick for recognising he needed to change his ways, he's recruited well within the limits he still faces, and at last is blooding youngsters and playing players in the positions in which they're comfortable. It was bizarre to go to 3-5-2 at the weekend having not played it all in pre-season but he got the call right and he appears more flexible now. It's a breakthrough getting through Round One of the League Cup! And two wins and two clean sheets. But the optimism must remain cautious - we won 4-2 last season in game 1, and 3-0 at Bristol City a few seasons ago, and both seasons were utter pants. I'm still not convinced we're a top 6 side, and that while ME has loosened the purse-strings I suspect it's not enough for the current state of Championship football. But once again we look forward with hope in our hearts... |
Sorry to reply so late.
Your post is a fair one. My only difference would be that I don't mind if we are not a top 6 side personally. What I want is progress, measured not by where we finish, but by whether I leave the stadium feeling that my team has improved on the previous season, and has tried to play attacking football and take the game to the opposition. Probably not away to Villa, Borough etc, but more often than not.
But overall I agree the thrust of your comments. | | | |
| Green Shoots Emerging - Some Reflections on Last Night’s Game at Luton on 09:49 - Aug 10 with 4850 views | Vic |
No criticism of others, but that is how to write a match report! Just brilliant Harry. Thank you. |  |
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