Luton Town

Geoff Doyle
BBC 3CR sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Two wins out of two over Easter has given Luton's chances of staying up a massive boost.

They know that if they beat Coventry on Saturday in the early kick-off they will be outside the relegation zone come the final day of the season with their nearest rivals Hull and Derby playing each other later that day. What an incentive. What a turnaround.

The Hatters went into the Good Friday match at Derby knowing that anything less than a win would almost certainly mean relegation. Luton dogged that one out and then they produced a fine performance on Easter Monday against Bristol City to achieve maximum points across the long weekend.

This is a different team to the side which struggled for the first six months of the season where the players had a touch of the Premier League prima donnas about them and a manager struggling to cope.

Matt Bloomfield has imposed his style on the team and brought a structure and shape required in the Championship. Most importantly he's offered clear and precise instructions and tactics.

It's absurdly simplistic; the players seem to know what they're doing now - what the plan is - whereas before they looked confused and at a loss as to why they were so off-form.

That malaise was allowed to deepen which led to further, wider problems. Poor attitudes, lack of motivation, lack of care, feeling sorry for themselves.

Bloomfield has addressed all that and gone back to basics. He also recognised immediately the unmotivated players weren't fit enough. It may have been a reason as well for so many muscle injuries Luton were picking up before he arrived. Stamina levels are much much better now.

Luton are still likely to need at least four points from their remaining two games and as we've seen with the Championship all season you can never predict results in this league.

Because of the other match, no matter what happens on Saturday it will go down to the final game next week for Luton. The job is not done yet but it looks a hell of a lot better than it has done for most of the season.

Commentary on Saturday from 12:00 BST on BBC Three Counties Radio

Image source, Getty Images

Luton Town are comfortable with their Championship survival hopes having been written off, says boss Matt Bloomfield.

The Hatters have won their past two games, and only goal difference is keeping them in the relegation zone.

"We've been written off many times, which is fine," Bloomfield told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+

"Football is all about opinions, but to lead a life in football, resilience is a crucial characteristic, and every time you get knocked down, you have to pick yourselves up and keep fighting."

Luton have two games of the season remaining, at home to Coventry on Saturday (12:30 BST) and then away at West Brom on 3 May.

"We're still below the line and know there's a huge amount of work to be done to get ourselves above it by the end of the season," added Bloomfield.

"We're very pleased with the way the last couple of months have gone, but there's lots more work to be done - we've got our feet firmly on the ground, we've got two really tough games coming up, but we believe in the work we're doing."

You can listen to all episodes of 72+ on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield said that his side's victory over Bristol City was "possibly the best" since his arrival.

The Hatters scored three second half goals to win 3-1 but still remain in the Championship's bottom three.

"It's possibly the best result and performance since I've been here." He told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"It was edgy in the first-half but we stayed calm with it at half-time and spoke to the players about a couple of tactical things we wanted to adjust.

"It's a big result - I've felt we've been due a big home win because we've had some good performances and not got the rewards I've thought we should have so I'm really pleased we've managed to do that.

"We've got to focus on our own work - we'd all like results elsewhere (today) to be different but games are running out and we have to make sure we focus on ourselves and facing Coventry on Saturday."

Image source, Rex Features

Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield spoke to BBC Three Counties Radio after the Hatters beat relegation rivals Derby County 1-0 to give their hopes of Championship survival a major boost.

"I thought first half, for an away performance, we were excellent," he said. "We passed the ball incredibly well, we had a goal threat and the only disappointment is that we didn't come in two or three up to kill the game off.

"It was always going to be a tough second half with Derby supporters right behind their team and creating the noise they do here.

"But to put on that kind of defensive display, I'm so proud of the lads. We took a real punch on the nose last Saturday in the defeat against Blackburn, but I didn't want it to ruin the momentum we had been building.

"It was important that we kept our heads today, because if we got too uptight and anxious, and built it up to be too much, then we weren't going to come and perform. It was really important that we stayed calm in this situation.

"I've just delivered the message to the boys that nothing is done yet, just like it wasn't over last Saturday when we were beaten by Blackburn.

"We have to show that fighting spirit at the Kenny [Kenilworth Road against Bristol City] on Monday."

Only one defeat in their past seven games and a tally of 14 points from a possible 21 has given Derby County under John Eustace a real chance of staying up.

The Rams are one point clear of the drop zone with four games to go.

Luton are scrapping to avoid a second straight relegation after a troubled campaign and know a win over Derby, although not enough to get out of the bottom three, would take them level on points with the Rams and behind them only on goal difference.

It's a huge game at lunchtime on Good Friday (12:30 BST) for both sides' chances of being in the Championship next season.

• Derby are unbeaten in their past 10 home league games against Luton (W5 D5) since a 3-2 defeat at the Baseball Ground in May 1990.

• Luton are looking for their first league double over Derby since the 1989-90 top-flight campaign.

• Derby have won each of their past four league games on Good Friday and are the only team to win on that day in every season between 2020-21 and 2023-24.

• Luton have won two of their past 14 league games on Good Friday (D7 L5) but are unbeaten in their past two (W1 D1).

• Derby's Jerry Yates has scored nine Championship goals this season, only in 2022-23 has he ever reached double figures in the competition (14 with Blackpool).

Simon Oxley
BBC 3CR, Luton Town commentator

Image source, Rex Features

There may be four games to go but, in truth, the inquest is already under way for many Luton fans.

After a slow start since replacing Rob Edwards, manager Matt Bloomfield had put together a decent run of results and Saturday's defeat at home by Blackburn was supposed to be the game they would win to get back into contention to stay up.

But it was a real disappointment.

No disrespect to Blackburn, but they were out of form and still managed to win despite playing nearly half the game with 10 men.

So, with the remaining home games being against play-off chasing Bristol City and Coventry, there is not a lot of optimism around.

Coventry sending them down would of course be very ironic given Luton's Wembley shootout victory over the Sky Blues to win promotion to the Premier League in 2023.

The two away games are at fellow strugglers Derby on Good Friday, with a final day trip - if it comes to that - to play-off chasing West Bromwich Albion.

They will be without two of the stand-out players from the Premier League season – Elijah Adebayo and Alfie Doughty – who have suffered recent injuries, so it will be up to January recruits like Thelo Aasgaard and Milli Alli to step up.

Supporters are already questioning why there wasn't more recruitment last summer and whether the club kept faith with Edwards for too long.

Luton stayed in the Championship on the last day in 2020. To do so again would be a greater escape.

Image source, Rex Features

Luton Town midfielder Jordan Clark says the trip to Championship relegation rivals Derby County on Good Friday is a "must-win game".

The Hatters are 23rd and three points from safety below the Rams, who occupy 21st position, ahead of the clash at Pride Park.

Clark said Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn was a "tough one to take" and that "a lack of cutting edge in the final third killed us".

It's been a familiar theme for Luton who have scored fewer goals (37) than any other side in the league this season.

"Disappointed with the lack of quality and decision-making in the final third which we work on every day and it's been a bit of a problem for us this season really," Clark said.

"[If] you get a point, then Friday's game is a massive game because then you're going there to get out of the relegation zone, which obviously with the goal difference we can't, which is disappointing."

Perhaps the only silver lining for Luton is that the sides directly above them in the survival scrap didn't fully capitalise as Cardiff lost, while Derby, Hull and Portsmouth all drew.

"You've got to look for favours around, which you shouldn't do but sometimes you have to," Clark added.

"It's one of them now, Friday is obviously a must-win game. It'll be a great atmosphere, a great game to play in and we need the three points."

Image source, Rex Features

Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield said his side were below par in the home defeat against Blackburn Rovers.

"We really felt we were building momentum and our performances have been good," Bloomfield told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"But that wasn't good enough for the standards we have been setting and we are very disappointed.

"Blackburn have had a tough run of results but they have a very good group of players.

"We gave a goal away just after half-time which gave us a mountain to climb and we lacked that bit of composure at the top of the pitch.

"There were loads of final-third entries and we hit the bar twice but we have not been clinical enough to get the equaliser and then chase the winner.

"We believe in the group we have. We've had some tough moments and have always come out the other side and it's up to us to do it again."

With four games remaining, the result leaves the Hatters next to bottom of the table, effectively four points from safety with their poor goal difference.

Image source, Getty Images

Luton Town's Matt Bloomfield says it is important that managers "respect and love" their surroundings, whichever club employs them, to have a chance of finding the right formula for success.

Bloomfield left a League One promotion race with Wycombe Wanderers in January to step up a division and take charge of The Hatters.

Luton have taken 15 points from the 15 matches Bloomfield has overseen, but they are only two points from safety with five to play.

"Every club is different, every job is different, and you have to respect and love your surroundings and give supporters a team they can resonate with, that they can feel really represents them. That's really important to know," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

Tightening up their defence was an immediate priority when Bloomfield was appointed, but Luton remain next to bottom ahead of Saturday's home game against Blackburn.

"The job we built over a number of transfer windows at my previous club, you were able to get it to a place where it was attack-minded first," he added.

"We looked at the numbers when we came in (here) and the goals against was too many and we felt there were improvements that just had to be made. To win games and get points, we needed to tighten up at the back.

"That had to be our main focus so we played a couple of different formations and tries to make them suit the players we have available, and try and play in a character and style of football and a philosophy that suits the club and the group."

Bloomfield confirmed that forward Elijah Adebayo had now had surgery on the ACL injury suffered in last weekend's draw with Leeds.

"It's the first step. I've done the (same) injury myself so I'm hoping I can really connect with him on that level, I've been through that process. It's a long road but what I do know about Eli is he's a really courageous young man and against Leeds he was unplayable at times."

Luton Town will be looking to boost their Championship survival hopes when they host Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon (15:00 BST).

The Hatters are two points from safety in 23rd and are unbeaten in their past five games (W2 D3).

Rovers are on an eight-game winless run (D2 L6) which has seen them drift nine points behind the play-off spots, while Valerien Ismael is still awaiting his first win as boss.

• Luton Town have won just one of their past seven league games against Blackburn Rovers (D4 L2), though it did come in their most recent home match against the Lancashire side (2-0 in September 2022).

• Blackburn Rovers have failed to win any of their 22 away league games against Luton Town (D9 L13); it's the most times they've faced a side on their travels in the EFL without ever winning.

• Luton have won just one of their past eight home league games (D4 L3), with those matches seeing a total of just eight goals (3 for, 5 against).

• Blackburn have lost seven of their past eight away league games, including their last four in a row since beating West Brom 2-0 in February.

• Blackburn's Valerien Ismael has won both of his two previous Championship games against Luton, each with a different club (Barnsley in April 2021, West Brom in August 2021). The only sides he has beaten while in charge of three different teams in the competition are Birmingham, Blackburn, and QPR.

Image source, Rex Features

Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield rated Tuesday 1-1 draw at Stoke as "the best away performance we've put in since I became manager".

Despite only snatching a point in injury time thanks to Millenic Alli's late equaliser, Bloomfield claimed: "It would have been very unfair if we had been beaten by a deflected free-kick. A draw was the very least we deserved.

"We were excellent. The first half was very even but, second half, we were the better team and it was a bit deflating to go behind like that. Thomas Kaminski gets it if it doesn't get deflected.

"You're then thinking the worst. But it felt like we were in the ascendancy, so to find that moment for Milly at the end, I'm really pleased.

"It was a great strike. We knew from his time at Exeter that he can shoot with both feet."

Lewis Baker's free-kick, which deflected off Reece Burke, looked to have put Stoke on course for three points at the bet365 Stadium.

But Alli found space at the far post in injury time.

Luton stay two points from safety with five games remaining after their fifth game without defeat.

And that left Bloomfield admitting: "Away from home, you've always got to respect a point. We hope it's a big one.

"Stoke have been in good form at home and are real tough opponents so, if you find yourself 1-0 down with not long left, hopefully that's a big moment for us."

Luton's bid to avoid back-to-back relegation takes them back home against Blackburn Rovers this Saturday, an Easter weekend menu of Derby away and Bristol City at home, then a home test against Coventry City before rounding things off at West Bromwich Albion.