Hatters chief declares bottom side Bantams are in a 'false position'

The Bantams go into the encounter at the bottom of the table, with 14 points from 19 matches, leaving them four adrift of safety already.

They ended a seven game winless run by beating Oxford 2-0 on Saturday, a sequence which saw them lose six in a row, while they have taken just seven points from 27 on their travels so far.

However, with the likes of experienced trio Eoin Doyle, Karl Henry and Paul Caddis available to them, then Jones is wary of the visitors’ threats, saying: “They’ve picked up and they’re a tough side.

“They’ve got a big squad, a real big squad and some real talented players in there.

“For me, they’re like a Plymouth, they’re in a false position.

“They won’t be there come the shake up, they won’t be in the position they’re in now, I believe that.

“So what we have to do is make sure our own motivations levels are for us and what we do, and that we prepare with the same application we did against Plymouth and if we do that, then that’s all we can affect.

“I think Caddis and Karl have just signed, it’s a massive squad they’ve got and that’s not always easier to cope with, but they’ve got the tools there that can do very well at this level.

“We know that, and we’re well prepared and well drilled to face those threats.”

Boss David Hopkin has had a tough baptism to his managerial career in England after becoming the club’s fourth new head coach of 2018, signing a two-year deal in September.

The former Bantams player, who remains their record signing at £2.5m when joining from Leeds, had a fine spell in charge of Scottish Premiership side Livingston, helping them to two promotions before rejecting a contract extension in May.

After winning just two out of his opening 18 matches in charge, Jones said: “I might have come across him once in terms of playing at (Crystal) Palace, but as a manager, I know he’s done very well up in Scotland.

“When you come down and whether he would have an eye on the league, it’s taken time to get to know the league so he needs time and patience.

“He’s looking like he’s starting to turn things around, but that’s not our concern, we have to prepare, us and as long as we play to the best of our ability, that’s all I can affect.”

With second placed Sunderland at home to third placed Barnsley, then a win for Luton could see them move into third, depending on the outcome at the Stadium of Light.

Jones added: “It’s just another game, another game that we want to win.

“We go out and try to win every game, regardless of who we play against, or where we play, or what stage of the season, it’s another game for us.

“We don’t know where it will leave us if we do get three points, so what we’ve got to make sure is that we do get that and those kind of conundrums identify themselves at 10 o’clock on Tuesday evening.”