Five things we learned from Luton 0 Birmingham 0

Luton opened the new season up with a 0-0 draw against Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon and other than being a point better off than in the respective fixtures last term, here is what we took from the game. 

Clark reminds everyone of his class

There was a lot of intrigue over the teamsheet handed in by Nathan Jones ahead of this clash, such is the wealth of options he has within his squad after an excellent summer of work in the transfer market. 

There was never too much of a doubt that midfielder Jordan Clark would be among the XI named but maybe more questions would centre round how he would play a deeper role.

As with any other position he has utilised in a Luton shirt, he played it impeccably. The quality Clark has on the ball is taken for granted, such has been the ability he has shown since his arrival, but it was his movement and the ease he covered the ground which caught the eye here, particularly in the first half where he covered a large area of the pitch in no time at all to thwart a dangerous Birmingham counter-attack. The rest of his game, the receiving the ball in tight areas, pressing the opposition and sending decent delivery into the box was there for all to see in a man-of-the-match display from the reliable Town midfielder. 

Flashy Freeman shows exciting times

Luton fans got their first sighting of new signing Luke Freeman at Kenilworth Road when the former Sheffield United playmaker was named in the starting XI, and it didn’t take long for them to be excited by what the 30-year-old can offer this term. 

Nathan Jones had chased his man for a while with the need for a creative left footed player in the middle of the park and almost immediately Freeman looked to be enjoying himself, getting on the ball in dangerous areas and threading dangerous passes to the front two, while carrying the ball confidently. He almost capped off a brilliant opening period to his debut when he danced through the Birmingham back line only to see his shot palmed round the post by visiting keeper John Ruddy. Freeman looked lively throughout the first half before understandably tiring a little after missing the final pre-season friendly last week. Expect more from Freeman as he builds up his fitness. 

Morris looks a real menace

Another new signing to impress was Carlton Morris. The physically imposing forward, signed from Barnsley in the summer, showed off all of his strength at various times in the game but his pace and power caught the eye as well. 

Morris went close to opening the scoring early in the second period when he turned Arsenal loanee Auston Trusty inside out only to see his shot fizz wide. Morris is direct, mobile and looks good in the air. He is going to be some foil for Elijah Adebayo. 

Incredible options bodes well for the season

If there was one thing that let the Hatters down last season when injuries hit it was the lack of genuine depth in the squadt but that has been sorted out and some based on Saturday. 

Such is the strength of the squad Nathan Jones has built the likes of Harry Cornick, Cauley Woodrow, Henri Lansbury and Cameron Jerome could only find places for themselves on the bench. That was a bench that due to injury didn’t contain any of Alfie Doughty, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Fred Onyedinma, Luke Berry or Reece Burke. The likes of Admiral Muskwe, Carlos Mendes-Gomes and Elliot Thorpe were also watching on. Whatever happens this season, Luton have the squad depth to cover it. 

The clamp fell off on the opening day!

Ahead of the new season, much was made of how referees were going to clamp down on timewasting. If that is the case, for referee Graham Scott, the lock on his clamp must be faulty because Birmingham slowed the game down from the first minute and despite the arbiter warning the Birmingham captain Troy Deeney throughout the contest no cards were shown and a minimal one and four minutes were added at the end of each half. 

Nathan Jones was clearly miffed with the referee after the game, as he was seen in a lengthy conversation with the Premier League official once the full time whistle had blown. The Hatters boss later admitted that he no longer knows the current laws of the game such is the number of changes there have been recently. On Saturday’s evidence Mr Scott doesn’t either.