Nathan Jones has praised Luton’s board and declared his happiness to be a Hatter after Watford boss Rob Edwards became the latest Championship manager to suffer the axe.
The Hornets dispensed with their 16th boss in ten years after just 11 games, having prised him away from League Two championship Forest Green in the summer.
In May, the Vicarage Road outfit’s chief executive, Scott Duxbury, said they’d back the 39-year-old “come hell or high water”, clearly indicating that they were done with their culture of hire and fire.
While Edwards’ was one of the shortest tenures in the division, Luton boss Jones last week became the Championship’s third longest serving manager after his friend Paul Warne moved from Rotherham to League One Derby County.
“I would like to be the longest to be fair,” said Jones, who returned to Town for a second spell in 2020, steering the club to the Great Escape, followed by a mid-table finish and then the play-offs last term.
Despite a somewhat slow start to the season, Luton have the same amount of points than at the same stage last term (13), and are just one point and one place behind arch-rivals Watford, who have now replaced Edwards with former West Ham and West Brom boss Slaven Bilic.
Jones said: “Obviously, since we last spoke, there has been a Championship manager who has gone and that is the perils of being a manager, perils of results, owners and things.
“Luckily enough, I have a fantastic board and when we have a little wobble as such, different owners might have thought, we spent a bit of money in the summer, we finished sixth last year, we should be this, but you’ve lost two on the bounce so see you later.
“I have a good board here and good CEO who I have a good relationship with and here we do things slightly more structured. I’m very happy with that and I’m very happy to be manager of the club.”
This should put the lid on any speculation about NJ and the Cardiff job. His relationship with the ‘fantastic’ board is obviously good. Now all he has to do is keep the equally ‘fantastic’ fans happy – starting with a positive result at Hull. And if the occasional game goes awry – as it will – don’t take issue with the players in public. And if the fans have a go – as they will – just take the flak and get on with the job. Easy to say – hard to do!