Luton Town have won four of their first seven games this Championship season – the number of wins they had to wait until game-week 12 last season. Additionally, unlike the start of the last campaign, the Hatters have not been involved in games with nearly as many goals. After seven games last season, the Hatters conceded 13 goals and had scored 12, with no other club being involved in as many.
However, the start of 2020/21 campaign paints a completely different picture for the club. Luton have been involved in less than half the goals than last season, with the Hatters scoring six and conceding 6 in the same time period.
A New Strategy in Place for Luton Town This Season
A Leaky Defence Under Graeme Jones
The Hatters picked up a porous reputation under Graeme Jones whereby they needed three or four goals to stand a chance of winning a game. In fact, before his departure, the Hatters conceded 71 goals in 37 games – the most in the division.
However, the impact of Spurs loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers and the re-appointment of Nathan Jones shored up Town’s defence. In the remaining nine games, the Hatters only conceded 11 goals, as they narrowly avoided relegation back to League One. With Carter-Vickers returning back to Spurs, a centre-back was central to Luton’s recruitment over the Summer. This priority led the Hatters to add Charlton Athletic’s Tom Lockyer to the squad – a player who played over 40 games for the Addicks last season.
Defensive Woes Yet to Re-Appear
Luton’s defensive troubles of last season were often attributed to centre-back pairing Sonny Bradley and Matty Pearson. However, the defensive duo have both repaid their manager’s faith with three clean sheets already, a landmark that the Hatters had to wait until February for last season.
An interesting development of Luton’s defensive play this season is their decision-making on the ball. Under Graeme Jones, there was an emphasis on playing out from the back, something that did not suit Matty Pearson at all. This approach of playing it out from the back put the Hatters under unnecessary pressure, particularly on Town keeper Simon Sluga, who was already low in confidence.
Nathan Jones Showing a Willingness to Adapt
Luton fans will still argue over the re-appointment of Nathan Jones, but his record since returning has been excellent. The Welshman’s ability to adapt and change the nature of the game has developed the Hatters both when attacking and defensively speaking.
In an attacking sense, Nathan Jones’ use of the bench has single-handedly won Luton a number of games. However, on Saturday Luton adopted an unfamiliar yet effective 5-at-the-back formation. Jones handed Tom Lockyer his league debut, in a victory where Luton dominated from start to finish.
In previous seasons under Nathan Jones, Town rarely shifted from their diamond formation. And, there was never a real need to, with the Hatters progressing through the leagues. Now, Luton find themselves in a position where they cannot out-play their opponents every week. This means that there is an increasing focus on the tactics that Jones intends to deploy.
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