Tony Mowbray is expecting a tough challenge against Luton at the SoL, but is looking forward to what should be an interesting game.
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
“Each game in our mind is going to be like an individual event, that we’ll have to turn up too and give the best account of ourselves. It’s difficult for every team in this division, because the games generally come every three days, and it makes it really hard to focus on one event because you just roll into the next game. There are so many different teams playing different systems, so it’s really difficult to prepare properly for the next game. What we try to do is focus on ourselves and the team we are, and then we’ll see if they can cope with what we bring when we are at our best. But, we are also mindful that they are a football team or a direct team. We even look at each player man for man, and see how they will play. You need to give the team the pictures of that, then you haven’t really done the work on the grass because there is no real time to do that. But, that’s the preparation. We are just looking forward to the next challenge, and I’ll have to say that this challenge is a tough one.”
LUTON HAVE COME A LONG WAY
“Luton have come a long way in a short period of time, I have played against Luton over the last three years, and I remember speaking to Micky Harford and Paul Hart saying that they’d like to get to where Blackburn Rovers were at. So, I look at them now and they are doing exceptionally well, and are now competing with Blackburn for fourth and fifth in the league. They did it last year as well, so it’s not a fluke. They are very competitive, strong, and flood the box with men. They are a very athletic team, and we have to be ready for that. We have to impose what we do on the game, but as we’ve seen over recent weeks that’s not easy for us, because of the inexperience in the team. But we will once again give it our best shot.”
HAPPY
“I’m really happy with this team, and yet it’s not the team we want to put out. There are maybe seven players that would get in the starting line-up of this team, that are not available and don’t play. But when it comes to the players we are choosing from, I can’t question their drive and commitment every game. Even losing at home 5-1, it shows you what they’re made of because they go away to Norwich and win 1-0 against a team that were in the Premier League last year. Ok, we lost to Sheffield United who are second in the division and their motivation for that game was huge because they just watched Middlesbrough drop two points, so it was a huge opportunity for them. However, due to really poor officiating they got over the line, and if it wasn’t for that we would have put the point in the bag and moved on. We have shown that we can compete, so we have to take the positives out of where we are, and not think that we have only won one game in five. You have to take the positives of competing in each game against the opposition, after Luton we have to go to Burnley. We will go and give the best account of ourselves as possible, and hopefully come away with a 1-0 win.”
LOOK FORWARD TO IT
“At the same time, that might be the game that confirms their promotion, so let’s just look forward to the challenge really and have programs between the games where the players can get better. Collectively we need to keep making the club better, without the expectation that we have to win every game. For me we have to compete in every game and make sure that supporters feel that we are competing.”
ROB EDWARDS
“I think Rob Edwards has been clever, because he hasn’t changed too much from what I can see. I think the environment of playing at Kenilworth Road is quite unique, and it’s really tight and small. I think they use their energy and commitment to make things difficult for teams, but there are a few teams that play with the intensity that they play at. I think they are an upgraded version of other teams in this league that play this way. They lock teams in, and make you defend, and they don’t make it easy for you to pass through them and get out. It’s not an accident that they are up in the top six, and yeah huge credit to him. He has assessed what he’s got and realised what he has isn’t broken, because the manager who left (Nathan Jones) didn’t get sacked, he went to manage in the Premier League. He took over a very good team and kept them going, and he’s done a very good job doing that.”
