Luton boss insists his Town side are 'on the right track' to break their Premier League duck

Hatters chief has full belief that results will pick up
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Town boss Rob Edwards insists his side are firmly on the ‘right track’ as they look to finally pick up their first Premier League points of the season when entertaining Wolves at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

Luton were given a baptism of fire in their opening two matches of the campaign, travelling to Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea in their opening two games, beaten 4-1 and 3-0, as the opposition tallied 46 shots in total, 20 of them on target.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Hatters then looked more solid during the 2-1 loss to West Ham, going on to adopt a new defensive shape without the ball in the 1-0 defeat to Fulham on Saturday, cutting the number of shots the faced down to 20, with keeper Thomas Kaminski troubled by just five of them.

Luton manager Rob Edwards makes a point against Fulham last week - pic: Christopher Lee/Getty ImagesLuton manager Rob Edwards makes a point against Fulham last week - pic: Christopher Lee/Getty Images
Luton manager Rob Edwards makes a point against Fulham last week - pic: Christopher Lee/Getty Images

Unfortunately three of them found the net, as although it hasn’t changed Town’s fortunes when it comes to getting results, it’s something Edwards believes can only stand them in good stead in their pursuit of moving off the bottom, as he said: “We’re improving in every game, we’re not giving anywhere near as many big chances away.

"Defensively we’ve shored up, we were a lot more solid in the West Ham and Fulham games and we’re still creating good chances as well.

“They’ve been very, very tight and in the balance, and I can keep saying it, but we’ve got to make sure we take ours and keep it out the other end.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"But if our performances keep improving, which they will do, we’re on the right track.

“We’re a new team, 12 new players.

"There was a lot of change in the summer, in a new league and we’re allowed to learn, we’re allowed to be working it out as we’re going.

"I think we’ve worked it out pretty quickly, we need results, I get that, but I know the results are around the corner because we’re working the right way.”

It’s not just Edwards who believes that either, as the manager is confident his players can see the positive signs that have happened in the last month, as he continued: “If you walk around the training ground on a daily basis this week, you wouldn’t think we’d have lost four games in a row.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Coming away from that game last week we were flat, the players were flat, because the players knew there was something there for us.

"We were disappointed because we limited them to very little and created some big chances and moments ourselves, so it was a good disappointment last week.

"We’ve got a great environment, the players are in, they’re bouncing in, they’re on board with everything we’re saying.

“They can see it, they can recognise the improvement as well, they can feel that it’s close, they can see the improvement that we’ve made in the games so far.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“That’s why they’ll be confident that it is coming and the belief is there.

"Just because we’re at home against Wolves doesn’t mean, right, it’s coming and we shouldn’t panic if it doesn’t either, but we’re certainly on the right track and I know the players can feel that as well.”

With Luton starting to look more a far more difficult proposition to break down, one thing Edwards is well aware of is the need to marry that up by being more prolific and ruthless at the top end of the pitch.

So far the Hatters have had 43 attempts, but crucially just seven of them on target, scoring twice, only one coming from open play.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They did create four excellent opportunities at Craven Cottage last time out, Carlton Morris volleying wide, Jacob Brown heading against the post, with Amari’i Bell denied by Bernd Leno and Tom Lockyer off target in stoppage time.

Edwards stated it is an area they have doubled down on in training this week, as he added: “It’s really difficult as when you’re creating chances and that’s the big thing, that’s good, that’s a real positive.

"Other than show it, talk about it, practice it out there (training ground), it’s hard then to do too much else.

"There’s obviously the psychology of it as well where we want to try and relax and be ice cold in those moments, but it’s easier said than done at times.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The big thing for us is we created some good chances in the last couple of games.

"We want to continue to do that and if we keep doing the right things, keep practising and talking about it, showing it, then hopefully they start going in.

“As long as we keep creating the chances, I’m not going to worry too much.

"I would be panicking a little bit more if we didn't look like scoring, if we weren’t in those positions, if we hadn’t created decent chances over the last few games, then I’d be a little bit more concerned.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Don’t get me wrong, we are talking about it, the players understand the importance of valuing it, especially when we’re training.

"It's like any part of training, practise hopefully makes you better, and we’ve done that this week.

“Sometimes the more you talk about it, the more you put pressure on and it can make people panic as well.

“I've got to try and find balance at the moment, without going overboard on it and then people freezing when they get those opportunities as well, so we’ve got to try and get that balance right.”