MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (h)

[windermereROYAL]

We`ll lose this now.

Ok m8

Happy to be wrong.

The fisticuffs at the end in the away end was interesting.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Glad to have gone in the end, wouldn't want to have missed that.

Thoroughly entertaining game. Luton play really attractive football; looks like with time they could well turn into an excellent side, maybe just a bit lacking in finishing.

As for us, there was greater intensity than I've seen in recent games. better pressing. Whilst Wing may not be at his best, criticism of Savage seems unjust - he's an absolute terrier, breaking up play. And that was difficult today because Luton moved the ball around beautifully.

As others have observed, Derrick Williams was absolute class. He's clearly in charge of the back four. Only a few games away from cult favourite status.

It's just a shame it's three points towards avoiding relegation rather than three towards points pushing for promotion.

[windermereROYAL]

Last time we won on a Thursday we moved up to 12th and then dropped to 17th on the Saturday, we`re 14th now, let`s see what happens.

[leon]

3 very good goals from us. And defence was prettt decent.

But fukking hell our midfield is dire. It like their scared of actually being in midfield. Just Wing and Savage sittinf in front of the back 4 trying to spray massuve long balls
Utter junk

If he can sort out our midfield tactucs, we'd be a half decent team

We got away with it tonight, thank god. We played ok up to shitting the bed - with typically Wing in a defensive position fcuking it up.

I think this team has got worse rather than better under Richardson. Our formation is getting even more disconnected. With a non existent midfield and a flat back 6 launching long balls to a front 3 who can't make the ball stick.

This team should be so much better. Marriot is clearly a great finisher if he gets the chances. Richardson seems like a long ball enthusiast which fills me absolute dread.

[tmesis]

The encouraging thing, other than the win, was that we actually had a few decent breaks. Normally we are so ponderous going forward. If you can run at teams at this level, you'll cause them no end of problems.

We did catch them in possession a lot of times over the night, although I thought they looked like a decent team having an off day.

[Hound]

Definitely still a lot of work for us to do but that win was vital I think to hoepfully pause the negativity a little

We still looked massively overrun in midfield, the constant long balls to 4 forwards who don’t win any of them at all, esp in the first half was pretty dire viewing

DK and Williams didn’t do a lot but a couple of big contributions. Marriott likewise - great finish but very little else as is per the norm. Doyle still a problem

Think we’re just treading water till Jan really and see what LR has up his sleeve then

[Fox Talbot]

Any guesses on how the switch to THursday worked financially? If it had been played on Saturday I’d expect a crowd of 12-13,000, a festive spirit, more than usual spending in bars, the shop etc. Obvs the club get the money from non attending ST holders anyway. How many of the 9000 declared gate actually in the ground? What’s the Sky TV fee? Does it even compensate?

[WestYorksRoyal]

LR has got 10 points from his first 6, which includes a trip away to the team in 2nd. Performances not great yet; agree we seem to be treading water until the window opens, but we're pulling in points anyway. Peterborough was the only poor result, but this team has poor results in it.

What is mad is that we're only 3 points clear of the relegation zone, and it could be fewer by Sunday. We have 25 points from 20; that would normally be enough to have us 6 or 7 clear. If you factor in 2 points from our first 5, that becomes 23 points from 15 - enough to suggest we should be fine.

It's quite similar to this time last year where Hunt had an awful week in the build up to Christmas and we genuinely debated if we'd got enough points on the board to stay up under Selles. Hopefully we put last week behind us like we did then.

[Stranded]

LR has got 10 points from his first 6, which includes a trip away to the team in 2nd. Performances not great yet; agree we seem to be treading water until the window opens, but we're pulling in points anyway. Peterborough was the only poor result, but this team has poor results in it.

What is mad is that we're only 3 points clear of the relegation zone, and it could be fewer by Sunday. We have 25 points from 20; that would normally be enough to have us 6 or 7 clear. If you factor in 2 points from our first 5, that becomes 23 points from 15 - enough to suggest we should be fine.

It's quite similar to this time last year where Hunt had an awful week in the build up to Christmas and we genuinely debated if we'd got enough points on the board to stay up under Selles. Hopefully we put last week behind us like we did then.

We're also only 3 points off Luton in 7th with a game in hand. The table is incredibly compressed - with a little bit of a run we can move up the table to the verge of the play-offs, with a drop off, we can be in relegation trouble quickly.

We play teams currently in 21st, 19th and 18th in the next 3. So a chance to really close in on the top clubs, or equally be completely in the shit by New Years Day.

[PieEater]

Great win but I have to say the football is tedious. Wing and Savage seem to have gone missing, we just get pressed in midfield, pass it back to defence, get pressed there, pass it back to the keeper who hoofs it to Kelvin or out to touch and we lose possession. And repeat.

[Hound]

The first half was pretty dreadful in retrospect. The pen was literally our only chance of any kind which was pretty shite

We did at least create some opening second period. Flattered really by very good finishes from KE and Marriott

Time to freshen up the midfield with Fraser I think. Savage and Wing must have played nearly every minute

Still think Marriott on his own up top is a very poor idea. Him and Kelvin together though could be a decent mix to see us through to Jan. both have a few goals in them and may give us a proper target to aim for

They’d be the changes I’d make

[leon]

LR has got 10 points from his first 6, which includes a trip away to the team in 2nd. Performances not great yet; agree we seem to be treading water until the window opens, but we're pulling in points anyway. Peterborough was the only poor result, but this team has poor results in it.

What is mad is that we're only 3 points clear of the relegation zone, and it could be fewer by Sunday. We have 25 points from 20; that would normally be enough to have us 6 or 7 clear. If you factor in 2 points from our first 5, that becomes 23 points from 15 - enough to suggest we should be fine.

It's quite similar to this time last year where Hunt had an awful week in the build up to Christmas and we genuinely debated if we'd got enough points on the board to stay up under Selles. Hopefully we put last week behind us like we did then.

This is a fair point. With the results we've had we would normally expect to be pulling away a little bit from danger not still hovering near.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Looking back, the second goal was a nice passing move. The problem is we too rarely get the ball in that area of the pitch, but I think we have the ability to create chances if we can do so more often. I'd also agree with dropping Savage for Fraser to hopefully freshen up and see if he has the ball progression ability.

[MR. CYNICAL]

Good win.

Wilshere looks to be building an attractive footballing outfit, with some lovely passing movements and interplay.

I think that will prove to be a very decent 3 points.

Wish we could get a manager to build an attractive footballing outfit, instead we have someone wanting to play football from the dark ages.
All we do is pass sideways, backwards and then hoof to one of the opposition defenders.

[Stranded]

Good win.

Wilshere looks to be building an attractive footballing outfit, with some lovely passing movements and interplay.

I think that will prove to be a very decent 3 points.

Wish we could get a manager to build an attractive footballing outfit, instead we have someone wanting to play football from the dark ages.
All we do is pass sideways, backwards and then hoof to one of the opposition defenders.

There is the argument of course that managers see the players we have and decide that that is the best way to play with their skillsets.

[Snowflake Royal]

The first half was pretty dreadful in retrospect. The pen was literally our only chance of any kind which was pretty shite

We did at least create some opening second period. Flattered really by very good finishes from KE and Marriott

Time to freshen up the midfield with Fraser I think. Savage and Wing must have played nearly every minute

Still think Marriott on his own up top is a very poor idea. Him and Kelvin together though could be a decent mix to see us through to Jan. both have a few goals in them and may give us a proper target to aim for

They’d be the changes I’d make

If you define chance as shot, we had two.. if you go beyond just a shot, we were nearly in a few times.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Good win.

Wilshere looks to be building an attractive footballing outfit, with some lovely passing movements and interplay.

I think that will prove to be a very decent 3 points.

Wish we could get a manager to build an attractive footballing outfit, instead we have someone wanting to play football from the dark ages.
All we do is pass sideways, backwards and then hoof to one of the opposition defenders.

There is the argument of course that managers see the players we have and decide that that is the best way to play with their skillsets.

The Wigan podcast interview when Richardson joined said he reverted to "pub football" to keep them up in dire circumstances in his first season, before building a more direct, exciting style in the second.

I feel like that has to be the right way to go about it, we just happen to be in the "pub football" stage with the squad he inherited.

The alternative is to be purist and say your playing style is non negotiatiable. Being fair, it worked for Selles even with a tactical tweak. But those sorts of managers normally come unstuck, and I wonder if Luton would be doing better with a manager who focuses on the players available instead of the style he wants to play.

[Snowflake Royal]

Wish we could get a manager to build an attractive footballing outfit, instead we have someone wanting to play football from the dark ages.
All we do is pass sideways, backwards and then hoof to one of the opposition defenders.

There is the argument of course that managers see the players we have and decide that that is the best way to play with their skillsets.

The Wigan podcast interview when Richardson joined said he reverted to "pub football" to keep them up in dire circumstances in his first season, before building a more direct, exciting style in the second.

I feel like that has to be the right way to go about it, we just happen to be in the "pub football" stage with the squad he inherited.

The alternative is to be purist and say your playing style is non negotiatiable. Being fair, it worked for Selles even with a tactical tweak. But those sorts of managers normally come unstuck, and I wonder if Luton would be doing better with a manager who focuses on the players available instead of the style he wants to play.

Tbf its pretty simple.

Poor form is almost always accompanied by uncertainty and poor decision making in players.

With a struggling team you keep it simple and direct, limit the decisions and complexity, giving the players easy repeatable patterns to follow to rebuild results, habits and form.

Once results, confidence and form pick up, you start introducing the freedom and complexity.

[Sutekh]

Wish we could get a manager to build an attractive footballing outfit, instead we have someone wanting to play football from the dark ages.
All we do is pass sideways, backwards and then hoof to one of the opposition defenders.

There is the argument of course that managers see the players we have and decide that that is the best way to play with their skillsets.

The Wigan podcast interview when Richardson joined said he reverted to "pub football" to keep them up in dire circumstances in his first season, before building a more direct, exciting style in the second.

I feel like that has to be the right way to go about it, we just happen to be in the "pub football" stage with the squad he inherited.

The alternative is to be purist and say your playing style is non negotiatiable. Being fair, it worked for Selles even with a tactical tweak. But those sorts of managers normally come unstuck, and I wonder if Luton would be doing better with a manager who focuses on the players available instead of the style he wants to play.

Yes, let’s wait to see what happens once Leam starts to get the players he thinks will take the club on, hoping to see something more encouraging in March/April/May that sets a real level of excitement for 26/27.

[stealthpapes]

Well, I enjoyed that.

Two well-taken goals, a mostly solid performance. Clearer signs of what we're going to do - I think something nearer to McDermott or Pardew than full on hoof ball.

Marriott adds goals. So with supporting wide forwards, I think he's fine.
Go back to last season where I repeatedly said Kelv works better coming on for Wareham.
Randall Williams has played his way into the team.
Savage's energy does not just stop things but also creates - the second goal comes from a press far up the pitch
Pereira did some solid stuff that ensured we didn't drop a bollock.
I rate Dorsett as a left back, hopefully the losses of concentration that have plagued him a bit the last season or so will go.

Soft first goal for them made things wobbly. Doyle maybe getting harder to defend the longer he goes without a significant contribution.

Our position reflects a tight league and a dreadful start. Our form since the first three games has not been that bad. We were improving under Hunt and, now that particular decision has been made, we have to adapt to something else. Bit of patience from the fans, bit of time for players to learn the new new thing.

I can still see us being one of the sides capable for a late surge at the Top 6.