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Luton Town. All about the Premier League newcomer

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LarryTaylor

Brief history of the club

Luton Town was founded on 11 April 1885, making it one of the oldest clubs in England (older than Chelsea and Arsenal, for example). There are many stories associated with the team, one of the notable facts is that Luton Town began paying their players money for participation in matches in the early stages of the development of football. The unique nickname "Hatters" was given to Luton due to the rich hat industry in Bedfordshire, where the club is still based, although it is now a suburb of London. Even the club’s logo depicts a hat.

Between 2007 and 2009, Luton Town suffered financial problems and were docked 30 points, leading to their relegation from the EFL and relegation to the National League, the fifth tier of the domestic game. The team was relegated to the lower leagues several times in a row, which meant a serious decline. Fans still cannot forget this difficult history, and often believe that the club was severely punished by the FA.

 

However, thanks to head coach John Still, who led the team out of the National League in 2014, and Nathan Jones, Luton began to climb the ladder again, returning to the Championship in 2019. There they became one of the most competitive teams in the second division thanks to their patience and work.

Last season, Luton won 21 times, drew 17 matches and lost 8 matches. Thus, the club gained 80 points and was 11 points behind the playoff zone. The Hatters are the worst among the top six in the Championship in terms of the number of goals scored - only 57. For example, Burnley, first in the table, has 87 goals scored, Coventry - 58.

 

Stadium

Luton have played at Kenilworth Road since 1905. But this stadium will be considered the worst in the next season of the Premier League. This is not because of its small size, but because of its old age, lack of safety and lack of compliance with all necessary requirements. For example, one of the stands is located literally in a residential building, and to the other fans can climb an old metal staircase that runs between residential buildings and the internal gardens of local residents. The latter suffer from noise and pollution, and with the team entering the Premier League, this situation will only worsen.

 

Head coach

Current Luton head coach Rob Edwards began his Premier League career at Aston Villa and later moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he played for 4 seasons. He then helped Blackpool and Norwich achieve promotion and played for Barnsley until injury forced him to retire from football in 2013. Edwards was also capped for Wales, making 15 caps. His father was a Wales under-18 international.

 

After retiring, Edwards took charge of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Academy, AFC Telford United and the England Under-16 team. He led Forest Green Rovers to the League Two title in the 2021/2022 season. Edwards was appointed Watford manager in May 2022 but was sacked in September. Soon after, he joined Luton Town, who, thanks to his leadership, achieved promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

 

Team composition: who you should pay attention to, what positions require strengthening


Goalkeepers: 1 James Shea, 24 Jack Walton, 21 Harry Istead, 33 Matt Macy, 34 Ethan Horvath.

Defenders: 2 Cody Drame, 3 Dan Potts, 4 Tom Lockyer, 5 Sonny Bradley, 16 Reece Burke, 29 Amari'i Bell, 32 Gabriel Osho.

Midfielders: 6 Glen Rea, 8 Luke Berry, 12 Henri Lansbury, 17 Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, 13 Marvelous Nakamba, 18 Jordan Clarke, 19 Dion Pereira, 20 Louis Watson, 22 Allan Campbell, 23 Fred Onedinma, 28 Elliot Thorpe, 30 Luke Freeman, 45 Alfie Doherty.

Forwards: 9 Carlton Morris, 10 Cauley Woodrow, 11 Elijah Adebayo, 14 Carlos Mendes Gomes, 15 Admiral Muskwe, 27 Aribim Pepple, 25 Joe Taylor, John McAtee.

The total price of the Luton Town squad is 35.85 million euros. For example, Bournemouth, whose squad is the least expensive in the Premier League (243.7 million euros), costs 8 times more. Carlton Morris scored only 20 times in 54 matches last season, and this is extremely low. All positions need improvement, especially the offensive line.

 

Advantages and disadvantages

One of the strengths worth noting is motivation. The Premier League is a new level for all the players in the current squad and they are keen to prove that they are capable of more. However, there are many more weaknesses. For example, this is a frankly weak squad that needs strengthening in almost every position. The club has a tiny budget, so you shouldn’t expect a large number of high-quality reinforcements. On the other hand, the giants may underestimate Luton, especially when the highly paid stars of the conditional Manchester United arrive at the Kenilworth Road stadium and feel like they are in the village by English standards.

 

What awaits the team in the new season?

Luton will definitely be fighting for survival in the coming campaign. Even miracle Leicester first barely managed to stay in the elite, and only then won the Premier League. jinsi ya kucheza Tanzania And for a club whose squad is 10 times cheaper than Bournemouth’s, a second consecutive season in the elite will already be considered a huge achievement.

 

Conclusion

  1. Luton Town is a team that has qualified for the English Premier League for the first time in history.
  2. The team roster is very cheap, the stadium is at village level by English standards.
  3. Experts predict the club will struggle for survival.
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