Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield is backing his players to turn sustained attacking play into goals when they visit in-form Lincoln City at lunchtime – and he’s pointed to the stats that give him cause for optimism.
The Hatters were stung by a 3-2 home defeat to ten-man Plymouth last weekend when they managed 23 shots but only seven on target, plus 47 touches inside the Pilgrims’ penalty area, but could only score twice from the spot.
In their last two home games, Town have notched 45 shots and while they’ve not scored from open play in those defeats to Cardfiff and Argyle, Bloomfield says the performance metrics show no reason to doubt his side’s attacking direction.
“We’re creating opportunities,” he said. “I’d be a lot more worried if we weren’t creating any.
But anyone who has watched us in the last three, four or five games, will see the amount of attacking intent we’ve had. And we just need to make sure we taper that with as much emphasis defensively because we don’t want to start conceding goals that we shouldn’t.”
Lincoln, who sit in seventh place in League One and have lost only once in 11 matches across all competitions, so Bloomfield knows Michael Skubala’s side are tough to break down.
While only fifth-placed Doncaster – four places above Luton in the table – have scored one less than the Hatters’s ten goals out of the top 14 teams, the manager stressed that his confidence is not blind faith but rooted in what he sees every day.
“There is absolutely course for optimism,” Bloomfield said, adding: “Since we’ve gone to two upfront, [you see] the amount of times we’re getting into our opposition’s box, the amount of shots and the amount of opportunities we’re having.
“ith more work, more cohesion, getting the group thinking along the same lines even more, because there’s been limited time that we’ve really had the group together as a whole. So that continual learning and improvement and cohesion, there’s more chances out there for us.
“Some of our football is very good. Some of it, we need to improve because it was slightly too slow and static at times when we went down to 10 men [against Plymouth].
“We played a little bit too conservatively at times because I think when you’ve got the overload, it’s a little bit easier to play slower because of less pressure given on you by the opposition. The ball speed could have been a bit quicker. We’ve gone over those bits.
“But in terms of optimism, 100 per cent. I’m very excited about the rest of the season. I’m an eternal optimist anyway, but there’s loads to be pleased about. The amount of shots we’ve had in our oppositions box in the last two two home games, which unfortunately, we haven’t picked up any points from, but all the stats and the data suggest that we are getting very, very good areas.”
He added: “Before Saturday we were averaging two points a game, which is promotion form over four of the last five seasons. That gets you automatic promotion. So, i don’t think it’s time to panic. We’re just a small proportion into the season.” Performances have been good and the players are buying into what we want to be.”
With Lincoln’s defensive organisation sure to test Town’s creativity, Bloomfield is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.
“They’ve had a cracking start, I think just one defeat in their 11 games in all competitions and they’re a tough nut to crack,” he warned of Lincoln. “Solid, very solid team. Scoob’s got them very well organised. They all know their jobs, got some real solid citizens, lads who have been around the scene for a number of years.”
Two of those will be in the shape of former Luton players James Collins and Sonny Bradley, who have both outscored the current crop of Hatters, with four and three apiece, respectively.
But in terms of trying to resurrect the meanest defence the division, which had only conceded three times before blunders against Plymouth doubled that tally, Bloomfield could have Teden Mengi to choose from for the first time this term. The defender came through 45 minutes for the under-21s in midweek, but while the former Manchester United man could be in contention for the bench, though Liam Walsh has been ruled out for up to two months following shoulder surgery.
