Cohen admits Harford is missed in the Luton dug-out although the Hatters legend is always on hand to offer advice at Kenilworth Road

Town assistant manager Chris Cohen has spoken of the help and support he has received from club legend Mick Harford after his change of roles within the backroom staff at Kenilworth Road.

The 35-year-old was appointed first team coach by boss Nathan Jones back in September 2020, before moving up to become number two in place of Harford over the summer.

That saw the Luton favourite resume his preferred duties as chief recruitment officer, heading out to watch potential new signings for the Hatters, rather than be involved with the first team on a match-day.

Despite his change of job description, Harford, who has done it all at Kenilworth Road, from featuring over 200 times during his playing career, while leading the side to Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and League One glory, always remains on hand whenever Cohen needs to call upon him for advice, as the former Nottingham Forest defender said: “Yes, all the time, he’s still here during the week.

"On training days and after the games I’ll speak to him, after the game he's been to, we’ll speak and talk about different things that happened in it and Paul Hart as well.

"He’s gone down to the academy now, but Harty’s the same as Mick, wonderfully experienced and someone that me and Sheez (Alan Sheehan, first team coach) and the manager still use a lot to bounce ideas off.”

Not having Harford in the dug-out has been the only downside for Cohen since his promotion to being Jones’ assistant, as he added: “Not much has changed really, the one, not negative as Mick is out there doing what he wants to do, is Mick’s not out there on a Saturday afternoon to add his experience to help me on the sidelines and help the manager.

"But Mick wants to be out watching games and concentrate on the recruitment side of it, where he’s had the last few years being back on the training ground.

"The day-to-day and the week build up, nothing much has changed from last year.

"I suppose the perception from the outside is it’s different, but realistically, quite a lot of what I was doing last year, I’m doing pretty much the same job now.

"Apart from the fact that Mick unfortunately isn’t able to be there on a Saturday afternoon with us, so I miss him, obviously anyone would, but I’m also learning to take on the bits that maybe he did for the manager that maybe I can help out on.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Cohen isn’t often seen in the dug-out himself during the first half of matches, preferring to get a birds-eye view of proceedings up in the gantry, before returning to terra firma for the second period.

On why that is, he added: “I still go out and watch the first half upstairs, that hasn’t changed.

"Sometimes I stay up there if it’s a real tactical game, where we think they might change formation, do some patterns, different things we think might hurt us.

"I might stay up there and I’m on the walkie talkie to Sheez, and then Sheez will pass on any message to the manager.

"Most second half’s I’ll be down and trying to help the manager in any way I can.

"To be honest, the manager manages the team and manages the group so well, it’s very rare that I need to say anything, but me and Sheez will always give him our perceptions of what’s happening within the game and he’s very good at taking that on at the right times and really good at telling us to shut up at the right times as well.

"At the end of the day the manager makes the decisions, we’re just there to help him and support him in anyway that we can.”