Luton Town saw creative midfielder and fans’ favourite Andrew Shinnie leave the club this week, in-between two poor performances. It’s seven days that the club will want to put right as soon as possible.
Following a scrappy 1-0 win at Birmingham City last week, the threat of relegation was seemingly diminishing. The Hatters were nine points off the dreaded Championship drop zone and were the same amount of points away from the play-offs. However, two uninspiring performances later, and it appears that Luton may once again find themselves in a relegation scrap.
Poor Performances and a Departing Fans’ Favourite Dominates Luton Town Weekly Round-Up
Luton Town Start the Week by Strengthening Recruitment Department
On Monday, the club announced two new additions to the backroom staff, with the club welcoming a Head of Scouting Operations in Phil Chapple, and a Head of Recruitment Analysis in Jay Socik. The former boasts an excellent CV within the game and was met by obvious excitement from Town fans. Socik – who has built a massive social following from his insightful posts – had been working for the Hatters on a freelance basis, but the permanent move is certainly a sign of intent from the club.
The pair were brought in as part of a long-term plan, with the Hatters intending to maximise their progression in pursuit of establishing themselves in the Championship. It is no secret that Luton do not have the same spending power as the majority of their Championship counterparts, but they see the analytical side of the game as a big opportunity to stay one step ahead of the game.
Disappointing Result at Home to Cardiff City
On Tuesday, Cardiff City were the visitors, with the Bluebirds becoming a real force under Mick McCarthy’s leadership. After a relatively quiet 45 minutes, two early second-half goals ensured that the three points were going back to South Wales. Harry Wilson opened the scoring in the 51st minute, finding the bottom corner with a beautifully struck effort from outside the area before Will Vaulks’ deflected effort found the top corner just five minutes later.
The Hatters saw a lot more possession after the second went in but they struggled to create any chances. Cardiff did defend resolutely with their back three of Sean Morrison, Aden Flint and Curtis Nelson all putting in exceptional performances to snuff out any danger we may have caused. But ultimately, Luton looked blunt in attack and their record in front of goal this season is starting to look like a real cause for concern.
Luton Town Confirms Fans’ Favourite Andrew Shinnie Makes Charlton Athletic Move Permanent
On Friday, Charlton Athletic confirmed the permanent signing of Andrew Shinnie. Luton fans were very quick to send Shinnie their best wishes and remind Charlton fans, what a brilliant player they have on their hands.
The Scotsman played a vital part in Luton’s promotion to the Championship during the 2018/19 League One campaign and was branded the ‘assister of the assist’, a term that described a typical scenario where Shinnie would thread a perfectly-weighted through ball to the on-rushing Jack Stacey who would then tee up James Collins.
Although second-tier football may not have panned out the way the midfielder would have liked, the 32-year-old will certainly be looking to, and has the ability to, light up League One again.
Abysmal Performance and Result at Stoke City
Luton’s ability to bounce back from disappointment this season has been majorly impressive, showing brilliant character to respond to poor results thus far.
However, that was not the case against Stoke City, with the Potters securing a 3-0 victory. Error after error allowed the home side numerous opportunities in a first half that the Hatters were lucky to still be in the game. But, the 15-minute break did not affect a dejected Town side who continued to struggle all around the pitch.
It may have been a poor week for the Bedfordshire club, but they remain eight points off the relegation places and have two important home fixtures next week. Although home performances have been relatively positive this season, results need to improve dramatically, if they are to avoid a relegation scrap come May.
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