Ahead of Sunderland's clash against Luton Town, we sat down with the Luton Town Exiles to discuss their season so far, and look towards the game...
Luton are 9th in the Championship. How have things been for you so far this season?
I would say mixed. Our last game was a catastrophe; the equivalent of you losing 5-0 at home to Newcastle and then Middlesbrough in the same week! To be fair, we’ve played well but haven’t been getting the number of points we should have. We could/should have six more points without silly errors etc. We are at least as good this year as we were last year and arguably have a better/stronger/deeper squad. An Achilles heel is our home form which could be a lot better. So, mixed overall. We can go on a run (and have done) and can establish ourselves top three or four. That's not me being delusional; I believe it and, more importantly so do the players and management.
Carlton Morris is your top scorer with seven goals (and three assists as well). What kind of player is he?
He is a fantastic player. He's got a bit of everything. Very very strong and holds the ball up really well. Very powerful, athletic, quick enough, very good in the air and dangerous off both sides. If he gets the ball either side facing goal he has a trick and will nine times out of ten get a shot off. He also has an edge & is a leader on the pitch. He's been outstanding for us so far. If he was a yard quicker, he could play in the Premier League.
What are your thoughts on manager Nathan Jones?
Nathan has been utterly magnificent for us across both of his tenures. He dragged us from League Two to the edge of the Championship and then saved us from almost inevitable relegation from the Championship when he came back. We were gutted when he went to Stoke (sound familiar, Sunderland fans?) and he did some unforgiveable/naive things in his short stint there. However, 99% of fans have now forgiven him. He is a marmite character with other clubs' fans but that is part of who he is. What he has done and continues to do at this club is, in my opinion, the best pound-for-pound managerial success in the whole of European football in the last ten years. Hands down. He is that good, I have no doubt he will get us to the Premier League.
Which Sunderland player worries you the most, considering Ross Stewart is injured?
I like Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts. Both very decent players with something about them. I also rate Alex Pritchard. He has a really good pedigree and i don't think it’s just coincidence that you went up and Stewart scored so many goals with Pritchard in the side. Like a lot of your players he is going to struggle physicality-wise in the Championship but that ability to hit a pass, set chances up etc is extremely valuable. He's capable of cutting us open, so I think he is your biggest threat to us. I also really like Luke O'Nien's engine and attitude.
Where are Luton's weaknesses for Sunderland to exploit?
We struggle sometimes defensively with concentration lapses in the middle of defence. We are not the quickest either in the centre of the back five; particularly since we are missing Reece Burke (our best defender). We do concede goals (not many though) from lapses at set pieces. If you can match our pressing and keep Morris and Adebayo quiet, you have a chance against us.
What's your score prediction? Who will get the goals?
We need to show up on Saturday and get the show back on the road after last Sunday. I think the game will be close but I think we'll edge it 2-1. I'd go for Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo scoring for us.
Where do you predict both teams to finish this season?
I've predicted that we will repeat our top six finish of last season. I've also predicted that we can do better and get top two but that massively depends on us keeping our best players fit. Injuries killed us last year. I don't think we'll get a clean run injuries-wise (particularly if the current pattern continues) so think we'll finish 4th or 5th.
Despite your recent wobble, I don't see any reason why you can't finish top ten which, in this division, would be a fantastic result for a promoted side. Particularly one that's had (like what happened to us) it’s best manager for years tempted away by Stoke. If you can finish tenth, you can easily sneak into the top six in this division. Like us, you might struggle with squad depth though – as you have already seen this season!
And finally, where is the best place for an away fan to get a pint in Luton?
You're not going to beat The White House, a Wetherspoons bang in the centre of town. There'll be loads of police around to watch you but the atmosphere is great. You won't get any trouble there and they are well catered for away fans. Our 'home' pub is the Bricklayer’s Arms.
