Angry Luton boss Jones labels Town's error-strewn performance as 'inept' following awful Potters defeat

An angry Luton manager Nathan Jones branded his side’s error-strewn display as ‘inept’ as they were hammered 3-0 at his former side Stoke City this afternoon.

The Hatters, who have so often been rock solid and hard to beat on the road this term, showed absolutely none of the qualities at the bet365 Stadium, allowing the hosts to romp to a victory that really should have been by more, such was their dominance.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “When you come back to your old club you really want your players to step up and to really battle and to put on a good performance, but we were miles off today.

“It was probably our worst performance I’ve ever had as Luton manager and coincidentally it’s come at my old club, so I’m very, very disappointed.

“We lost every single battle and let’s credit Stoke, they were better than us all over today in every single department, no complaints, but I'll have to look at us because we were inept in certain things.

“The leaders, the strong ones that I like to rely on, were nowhere near today and we didn't do the basics right.”

Stoke’s first goal came on 20 minutes following an error by captain Sonny Bradley, who failed to cut out a ball to Steven Fletcher and was then beaten by the attacker, whose pass allowed Nick Powell to virtually walk the ball over the line.

After the break, a Joe Allen cross saw Powell rise above a flat-footed James Bree at the far post to make it 2-0, before Glen Rea’s woeful mistake allowed Sam Clucas to go clean through on Simon Sluga, setting up Fletcher to net from a few yards out as well.

Jones continued: “They were better than us without creating massive amounts, they were better than us, but it took a massive error from our captain to give them the lead.

“If we get in at nil nil it's different, but even then I signed Nick Powell for this football club and I signed him for lots of good reasons, but not for his aggression on the back stick and even he showed more aggression than my right back to score and that’s summed up the day for us.”

“I’m disappointed from the first minute to the last, there’s not anything I can look back on and think 'we did okay there.'

"Probably just after half time for about 10-15 minutes we looked in the contest, without creating anything, without having any cutting edge, without having anything, so today we were well beaten and that's the disappointing thing as regardless of tactics, we didn't do any of the basics right.

“They've turned in their most inept performances since I've been Luton manager and I include four years of games in that.

“This doesn't happen often to us, today, there was absolutely no hiding place, no shielding, we were miles, miles off it today.”

Both Rea and Bradley struggled throughout the afternoon, with Rea in particular giving the ball away on numerous occasions, after being moved from defence to midfield and then back into defence once more.

Jones continued: “They’re your two leaders, the ones you need in games like these and they were miles off it today, but they were in good company as there were another eight that were miles off it as well.

“We didn't do anything well, we looked weak all over, we lost every battle and when you lose every battle you're never going to win the game.

"When some of the Stoke players with the quality they have get their tails up, they're going to hurt you.”

Town only have a few days to get over this performance ahead of home match with Millwall on Tuesday night, as Jones added: “We’re in tomorrow anyway as we've got a game Tuesday.

"It’s not a knee-jerk, nothing panic, just structure and then let's go again.”'