Luton Town

Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Luton Town's match against Newcastle United on Saturday.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• On the events of last weekend's game at Bournemouth, during which Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest, Edwards said: "It's been a difficult week for everyone. His family have been the main concern all week, and then it's the players and staff that have been affected. All that matters is that he's come through and he's home."

• Edwards spoke about the emotions he went through at the time: "It's difficult. I won't be able to articulate all my feelings, but my initial feeling was I sensed something was different to May and it was about just raising the alarm and clearing the area. I'm so proud if the medical team and staff - they made every decision bang on."

• He added: "I need to say thank you to everyone at Bournemouth [and] a special mention to Phillip Billing who reacted quickly. We'll have a special bond with the club going forward."

• On how the team are preparing for the next game, Edwards said: "We already had a plan to have a few days off after the game, so we've stuck to that plan. We thought it was right to give everyone a bit of time to digest so we came back together on Tuesday. We spoke about what he [Tom Lockyer] means to us and we want to embody that as a team. If we can all act, behave, play like Tom going forward, we'll be going the right way."

• On Lockyer's current condition, Edwards said: "His dad described it to me yesterday. He said that he feels like he's had a fight with a bear. He's tired, he's been through a lot, but he's in good hands and he's recovering well at home."

• On squad availability, Edwards said: "We're as we were last week, minus Tom. Other than that there's no changes. Cauley Woodrow was available last week, but the squad is growing so that's the decision we made. Other than that, we're the same as last week."

• On Saturday's opponents, Edwards said: "Energy, quality and clear way of playing. Huge respect for what Eddie Howe has done in his whole coaching career, and what he's done at Newcastle is really impressive. I love the way he goes about it and handles himself. They've had a lot of games this year, but they've been able to churn them out. It will be an exciting game."

• On the upcoming January transfer window, Edwards said: "There needs to be some time to see where we're at. Like always, the window is quite fluid and things change, but I don't want to be talking about that. It's too soon for me to be talking about stuff like that."

• Edwards confirms Marvelous Nakamba is still suspended for the Newcastle game, but flagged a potential issue for full-back Alfie Doughty, who picked up a booking in the abandoned game at Bournemouth: "For some reason, Alfie Doughty's booking still counts. It's like the game didn't happen, but Alfie's booking still counts. It's a strange one. It will be nice if I can get an answer on it or if it can get changed."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conference

Eddie Howe expects Newcastle United to face an "emotionally charged game" against Luton Town as the Hatters play for the first time since their captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest.

Lockyer has been discharged from hospital but Howe said seeing events unfold put things into perspective.

"Watching the game was a really difficult moment for everyone connected with Luton," he said.

"Tom himself is the most important thing and his family. It really puts football into perspective. His health is paramount.

"It’s difficult to know quite what the atmosphere will be like, but I’m sure it will be an emotionally charged game. The Luton fans will be thinking of Tom the whole game and I think the build-up will be reflective of that.

"For us, we just have to focus on our performance. We can't let that emotion overcome us and our delivery of what we do."

Howe was complimentary of Luton's performances this season and is expecting them to give his side another tough game, just like they have against other top sides.

"It’s a very difficult place to go," he said. "I’ve been there many times as a player.

"I’m looking forward to the game. Their games at home have been very interesting. They ran Manchester City very close, couldn’t have run Arsenal much closer and they got a really good draw against Liverpool and competed really well.

"I think they have competed well in every game. They have been physically very good, fully committed to how they play. I think Rob has done a brilliant job there and knowing the stadium as I do it is never going to be an easy game for us."

BBC Three Counties Radio's Luke Ashmead on the relationship between Luton and Bournemouth after their match last weekend: "As bleak and as difficult as it was, it has probably forged a bond between the two clubs forever now.

Commentator Simon Oxley: "Who would have thought this in the aftermath of that dramatic game the last time they played? [Luton 3-2 Bournemouth, January 2022]. What had gone on in the game was not particularly pretty and Luton were not particularly happy with the way Bournemouth approached the game.

"To then have that turned around by the response to what happened to Tom Lockyer? There is forever a bond, absolutely. Phillip Billing will get a standing ovation when Bournemouth come later in the season.

"Whenever the game is rearranged for, you can see that being a real moment for fans to come together."

Listen to the full episode here

Ollie Kay, We Are Luton Town, external

Considering how our performances have been excellent, and our losses very tight affairs. It would be too easy to ask for Luton Town to turn those performances into more points.

For me, I would simply ask for that first clean sheet of the season. Because of his performances so far this season, I think Thomas Kaminski really deserves it. It would also go some way to reward the excellent displays our defence have been putting in.

But in reality, there is only one thing I think Luton Town and their fans want for Christmas, and it’s for Tom Lockyer - our warrior, our captain - to be happy, healthy and be back at home on Christmas morning surrounded by his family.

I hope he has a restful Christmas period but can also cheer the team, hopefully from Kenilworth Road at some point very soon.

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

We are all still waiting for further news on Tom Lockyer and everybody remains concerned, hoping for the best for the popular Hatters captain.

The huge positive has been how the football world has come together to offer their support. Rivalries, tribalism, petty squabbles are put aside as everybody understands that some things are more important than this silly, beautiful game.

This started with the conduct of Bournemouth and their fans as events unfolded last week. Luton as a club and as a supporter group will not forget that.

Because of the tremendous story of Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu going through the leagues with Luton from non-league to Premier League it can sometimes be forgotten that Lockyer has done the same thing - the only difference being it has not been entirely with Luton.

He was part of the Bristol Rovers defence which played in the National League and won promotion via the play-offs. He played against Luton in both games in the 2015-16 season in League Two and again in the 2018-19 season in League One.

From there he moved into the Championship with first Charlton and then Luton. Lockyer has earned his right to play in the Premier League.

He has got there by sheer hard work as well as talent - and his character and personality has led to him captaining the Hatters in the top flight.

This season Tom has got better and better in the middle of the defence. He was excellent against Manchester City, Liverpool and Crystal Palace recently and on Saturday had a brilliant battle with Dominic Solanke. In a fairly young defence, Lockyer’s leadership skills have stood out.

Get well soon, Tom.

• This is only the second meeting between Luton and Newcastle in any competition this century, with the Magpies winning 3-1 in an FA Cup third-round tie in January 2018.

• Luton have only failed to score in one of their eight Premier League home games this season, a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham in October. The Hatters have dropped points from winning positions in three of their past four home league games, drawing 1-1 with Liverpool, and losing against Arsenal (3-4) and Manchester City (1- 2).

• Newcastle are unbeaten in their past 16 Premier League games against promoted sides (W9 D7) since a 2-1 home loss to Leeds in January 2021. They have won both such games this season by an aggregate score of 10-0.

• Elijah Adebayo is Luton's top scorer in the Premier League this season with four goals, and is looking to become the first player to score in three consecutive top flight games for the Hatters since Mick Harford in April 1992.

• With six goals and four assists, Anthony Gordon has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Newcastle player this season. It is also the first campaign in which he has reached double figures for goal involvements in the competition.

The annual feast of festive Premier League football is about to get under way.

So what is your best memory of following Luton at Christmas?

Mince pies on the train for a Boxing Day away trip? Squinting through the snow to see your team score a late winner? Ending the year with a Christmas cracker?

Let us know here

Image source, Getty Images

Pat Nevin, writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter: Trying to find reasonable perspective in modern-day top-level football isn’t always easy, but when something truly serious happens the game understands its’ place.

Luton’s Tom Lockyer had a cardiac arrest on the pitch against Bournemouth on Saturday and football was immediately reminded of its’ significance in the grand scheme of things.

Maybe Pope John Paul II summed it up best, “Amongst all unimportant subjects, football is by far the most important.” It isn’t more important than life!

Fortunately, other than a hospital A&E department, a football ground at this level is the best place to have a serious medical problem like this, and Tom was given the best care quickly.

He is responding well we hear and thank goodness the game is now prepared for these situations.

We have lost many over the years to cardiac arrests, I was there when Marc-Vivien Foe died back in 2003 in Lyon playing for Cameroon and there have been others, some very close to me, who didn’t make it.

The heart screenings and the checks are compulsory in the game at the top, and the further they can be rolled down the levels the better.

This multi-billion-dollar industry owes it to its grassroots. I was PFA chairman when the union first set up those mandatory heart screening tests, but we have gone further in the game by getting specialists and specialist equipment on the scene and at the ready as well.

It may have saved Tom’s life, and we wish him well.

Ollie Kay, We Are Luton Town, external

I’m at a loss as to what I should be writing about this week. The worldwide media have naturally turned their attention to Tom Lockyer and the situation with his cardiac arrest in the 65th minute of the Bournemouth vs Luton Town fixture that had to be abandoned.

It was the correct decision given the trauma of witnessing that, not just for the Luton team, but the Bournemouth team and all the supporters inside the stadium. If you were affected by this situation, you need to speak to someone about it.

Luton Town have been through a similar situation, back in October of the 2006-07 season, we were fifth in the Championship having beaten Leeds 5-1.

On the way to Ipswich, Sol Davis, our left-back, had a stroke on the team coach, leaving his team-mates distraught. Luton were beaten 5-0 and went onto win just four more games that season, which ended in relegation.

During those years, the club ownership was fragile but this time we are made of different stuff. From the top, down we are together. Whatever happens this season, I know that that the players will do it for Tom, and will play with his steely determination even if he isn’t on the pitch.

Get better Tom, I know that our club; the first to pay the living wage, the one club in the Premier League that say no to gambling money, the club that gave James Shea a new contract after a serious knee injury, will do everything in their power for you.

Once a Hatter, always a Hatter.

Luton Town's Premier League match at Bournemouth was abandoned after their captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch with the sides level at 1-1.

The players were taken off midway through the second half as Lockyer received medical treatment after collapsing off the ball.

Supporters sang Lockyer's name and the crowd at Vitality Stadium rose to their feet to applaud the 29-year-old as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

Following confirmation that the fixture had been abandoned, the players and managers of both clubs returned to the pitch to applaud the supporters.

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on darts star 'Hollywood' Chris Dobey, who supports Newcastle.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

I don't think the Cherries are overly bothered about possession, but they have a plan that is working. Their midfield duo of Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook is very effective, and I am a huge fan of Dominic Solanke, who leads the line for them so well.

I think Solanke has got a huge chance of going to next summer's European Championship - it's not a case of saying England manager Gareth Southgate can't ignore him, more the case that I don't think he will.

Bournemouth have won four of their past five games and drew with Aston Villa in the other one. I am expecting them to collect three more points here, even though Luton will be well-organised and determined.

I actually have a lot of sympathy for Hatters manager Rob Edwards. He has managed well and his team have exceeded expectations in terms of their performances, and I don't think their points tally truly reflects what they should have picked up so far.

It's at home where Luton have given the big clubs a scare though, which is another reason I am backing Bournemouth here.

Dobey's prediction: 2-0

Bournemouth will have too much, I think. They are playing well. Luton have given a few teams a scare and they are not playing badly either, but they always seem to fall at the last hurdle in games. 2-0.

Read all of Sutton's predictions for this weekend's games.

Rob Edwards has spoken to the media before Luton Town travel to in-form Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• Edwards said defender Gabe Osho and Chiedozie Ogbene are fit again after injury and available.

• On Saturday's opponents, Edwards said: "Really impressive. I think they've been building nicely and they probably deserved more points in the early stages than they actually got. Andoni [Iraola] is doing a fantastic job by changing the way they play and finding points in the Premier League. A lot of respect for what he's doing."

• Edwards offered more on the Cherries: "It's as difficult [a challenge] as any other in the league. They're on a fantastic run and deservedly so - their high energy, good individuals and a good coach."

• On Carlton Morris and his recent struggle for goals, Edwards said: "I look at the game against Liverpool and think that it was one of the best number nine performances I've seen from a player in this shirt since I've been here. I thought he was outstanding - his ball retention, work-rate, understanding. He brought people into the game to allow us to have that threat and counter-attack. What he gives us with and without the ball can sometimes outweigh the goals. We want people to be able to score, but at this level it's difficult."

• On the hunt for Luton's first Premier League clean sheet, Edwards said: "It's really difficult for us. I remember Ian Holloway at Blackpool saying I want to just score more than the opposition. I'm not saying I want that mentality, but that's the reality in this league. We're going up against such talented players that it's hard to keep the clean sheets."

• Edwards says the overall quality of Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend is equally as important as their Premier League experience: "When you feel wanted and supported you can go and do your best. The two of them have been really important for us. They're pushed by the whole group and they've got respect from the players."

• Edwards spoke about the young players at the club: "We have a wonderful academy here with brilliant people who run it. We have a number of lads on the bench, Joe Johnson representing his country in a prestigious tournament and we've got real high hopes for a number of players here and that's down to the hard work that's going on on the other side."

• More on the academy: "Nothing would please me more than bringing young players who have come through this football club to the Premier League, but ultimately they've got to know they've got to deserve it.

Find out what was said in all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Three Counties radio's Simon Oxley spoke about Luton's upcoming match against Bournemouth on the Luton in The Prem podcast: "Three weeks ago, it was a six pointer! They had a poor start, but now they are absolutely flying. They've lifted themselves well clear, so it will be a tough test.

"On the basis that Arsenal and Manchester City found it difficult against Luton, you've got to go in with some optimism. Luton have been within a goal of [Manchester] City and Arsenal and level with Liverpool and we haven't been thumped.

"They 've got some good players and they've invested. Having Dominic Solanke up front on a regular basis is like [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin at Everton, good strikers who are at home at the level."

On who will replace the suspended Marvelous Nakamba, BBC Radio Counties' Geoff Doyle said: "He'll throw [Sambi] Lokonga in. I think it gave you the indication that it will be him when he came on last week.

"They're different players, Lokonga is more like a Nakamba where he can sit a bit more defensively and break up play, whereas Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu is trying to get in between the two boxes. It's a bit of a tight call."

Listen to the full episode here

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Before the Manchester City game last week Luton Town manager Rob Edwards admitted he was struggling to sleep. It was not long after his side's heroic performance against then-leaders Arsenal where the Hatters missed out on a point by a matter of seconds.

His mind was a minefield unable to shake off events of the match, even questioning whether it all actually happened.

One can imagine what he was like when he rested his head on Sunday night after another battling performance against the Treble winners. His team of talented warriors led Pep Guardiola's City and gave them a right scare.

But once again it was not quite enough. And this is what is pestering Edwards's brain.

The popular Luton boss cares so much. I spoke to him afterwards and he was a tortured soul. Immensely proud of his team and rightly so but heartbroken that he could not give the club and the fans points again. He is desperate to keep the Hatters in the Premier League.

Edwards should not beat himself up. The supporters get it. The club get it.

As he said to me: "We gave everything" and they did - again. In little over a month they have given Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City really good games. That will be enough for the vast majority of Luton followers.

Will it be enough to stay in the top flight? We'll see. Luton need to show a bit more ambition away from Kenilworth Road so it will be interesting to see how they fare at Bournemouth after a slightly passive performance at Brentford.

But if they can replicate the recent home form on their travels, Luton will continue to ask big questions of teams. And it's why everyone connected with Luton should hope that Edwards sleeps easy at night.

Commentary on Bournemouth v Luton on Digital Radio this Saturday.