Jordan Clark has said Luton players have “not been good enough” and contributed to manager Rob Edwards leaving the club last week.
The 42-year-old’s two-year spell in charge ended by mutual consent on Thursday, following a fourth straight defeat and a tenth consecutive loss on the road, when they slumped 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers a week ago.
Town’s poor first half the season, sees them two points above the Championship drop zone and the club is now searching for a successor to lead the team and try to steer them away from a second straight relegation battle, having slipped out of the Premier League last term.
Midfielder Clark has been one of the mainstays of Edwards’ team, playing in 24 of Luton’s 26 league games so far this season, but tasting just six victories.
“It’s a horrible business. As players, we’ve let him down. There’s no hiding that. We’ve not been good enough,” said the 31-year-old after Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup exit at Nottingham Forest.
“We’ve got a lot of soul searching to do as players, because obviously the manager, he takes the bullet in the end.
“But now it’s just about getting the new person in, whoever that will be, and we’ve got to come together because we’re obviously in a mess. We’re in a bad position.
“For the squad of players we’ve got and the lads in there (changing room), we know we should be better than what we’re doing. But, obviously, that’s no excuse. We need to put it right on the pitch, and that’s the main thing.”
Players and staff were informed of Edwards’ exit on Thursday, with the manager there present to address them and say his goodbyes alongside chief executive Gary Sweet.
Clark told the BBC: “You could sort of feel it was coming. We got told we needed to be in for a certain time and have a meeting, and obviously seeing Rob in his normal gear, obviously, you know what’s coming. It’s sad. It was sad to see.
“He’s an emotional guy anyway, we know that, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He said ‘thanks’ to everyone, but we should be thanking him, really, for what he’s done for us.
“He’s took a lot of us to places where we never thought we’d ever be. So, I can’t thank him enough, personally. I know him a little bit as a player, but what he’s done for me and the lads as a manager, I’ll never forget. I love him to bits.”
Clark played with Edwards when they were both at Barnsley between 2011 and 2013, which added to the “very difficult” send-off.
The midfielder added: “What a guy Rob is. I think everyone’s felt that, the fans, you guys (media), all the staff, everyone knows how good of a guy is and what he’s done for this football club. So, a tough week, a tough few days but, to be fair, proud of the lads today. Really, really put a shift in.
“Obviously, we know it’s going to be a bit weird not having him there for the first time, but just proud of how everyone applied themselves and put up a real performance, I thought.
“Not said that too many times this year about being proud from an away performance, obviously losing, but we knew that it meant a lot to the club and obviously the travelling fans who’ve been coming in the numbers every week.
“The results have been really poor. We know that. And obviously it’s another defeat today, but I could say we’re proud of the lads today, especially coming up against a Premier League side who are flying.”
Clark scored a goal in the Championship play-off final at Wembley, which saw Town eventually beat Coventry on penalties to seal a first ever promotion to the top-flight in 2023.
“He mentioned that to me when I had a brief chat with him before we left,” said Clark, adding: “I’ve not had a proper chat with him yet, which I’ll try and do in the next few days, but he just mentioned that and he thanked me for my efforts, which was nice.
“But I will thank him more than he thanked me, because of how he’s pushed everyone. And, like I said, he took us places where some of us probably never thought we’d ever be.”
Be the first to comment