At home under Rob this season in a dozen matches we only failed to score once. Two home games into the Matt regime, and not only have we not scored, the chances are drying to a trickle. Meanwhile we don’t look any better defensively despite the crowd pleasing move to a back four.
A strange start to the game with a sporting legend appearing to think he could watch the game from crouching in front of E block. Gone are the days when stewards checked tickets but the other two fellas were also evicted ten minutes in when the rightful ticket holders arrived. One of the main stewards who used to run E block was wrongly and badly let go by the club during last season and should be reinstated.
Trouble is when you make a managerial change this late – and you are this far into relegation trouble – you haven’t got time to experiment and find your best XI. That’s why Plymouth, Cardiff, Stoke, Hull, Millwall and Coventry all made the change much earlier than Luton did.
Now once you’ve decided to make a managerial change, do you go for a quick fix instant impact who can turn it around immediately? Or do you give the new fella time to get his methods across, change the system, and don’t worry about the impact on the league table.
The Luton powers obviously decided on the second approach. It is pretty clear Matt is not a ranter and a raver, he probably hasn’t balled out the underperformers. It all sounds quite determined, let’s put the work in, similar in character to super Rob.
But you could see watching the Millwall game Luton players confused by what they were meant to be doing. Bell has had to get used to being back at left back having spent most of his time under Rob as the left of a back three. Hashioka has finally got his wish to be right back but after his recent games it is unclear whether his strength is as a defensive full back, as he’s clearly not somebody to bomb down the flank and put great crosses in like Alfie.
Which brings up the Alfie question. He is now playing as forward. Nothing wrong with that. Although that means when he is on a free kick or corner that’s one less attacker in and around the box.
Kaminski rightly got man of the match. He made 3 remarkable saves, kept out the penalty, and seemed fired up screaming at Nelson for failing to stop several crosses.
The players got booed as the walked round but I can’t fault the effort of Clark, McGuinness, Kaminski and Morris. Every game those 4 visibly put in 100%. Some of the others you could perhaps question, but if there is a drop in effort and any billy big bollocks going on, surely the new manager should be close to identifying and binning them off.
The transfer strategy continues to worry. Bloomfield would have no input on Christ or Jones coming in. Where do they fit into the Matt strategy? How many players did he demand at interview, and what are the “transfer committee” going to come up with in response?
The fact is the last 3 games were our major opportunity to get points and pull clear. Because we’ve effectively used the 3 games to experiment, change the system, and bed in the new coaching staff, we’ve ended up with 1 point. And a crowd on the verge of revolt. With players getting booed.
Winter is coming.
#COYH
Town: Kaminski; Hashioka, Bell, McGuinness, Andersen; Nakamba (sub Walsh 75), Krauß (sub Adebayo 61), Clark; Doughty (sub Jones 68), Brown (sub Nelson 67), Morris.