Luton chief executive Gary Sweet has hailed the galvanising effect of Nathan Jones’ return and says the manager has repaid the “debt” owed after for leaving for Stoke after guiding the club to Championship safety.
The Welshman returned in May and last night orchestrated a memorable Great Escape, slashing of an effective pre-Coronavirus seven-point gap in just nine games to see them finish two points above the drop zone.
Town had not been out of the bottom three since Boxing Day, but under Jones they took 16 points from a possible 27 after the restart, including last night’s decisive final day 3-2 win over Blackburn lifted them to a 19th placed finish.
Sweet said of the manager: “That man has just galvanised that team of players like no other man could. We knew that was going to be the point. He has come back with such grace, such respect for everybody.
“His behaviour has been impeccable. Thank you Nathan. He owed us a debt, Nathan. It’s clean, it’s paid back. He’s here, he’s a better man for it. We’re better people for it.
“That little moment where he disappeared from our scenes, we’ll look back on that and say there’s probably a bit of investment there.”
During football’s Covid-19 suspension, Sweet assessed that relegation back to League One after one season would mean “financial oblivion” for the club, in the region of a £6million shortfall.
After that worry was ruled out, he told BBC Three Counties: “I can’t tell you what’s going on in League One at the moment. It’s a disaster zone, with salary caps and everything else that’s going on. It’s all great and we all need that but it’s a bit of a basket case.
“The Championship itself, isn’t in a great shape, but we’re solid within it. We’ve done this as the lowest budget in the league. We’ve done this without expressing too much ambition. It’s ambition for us, but ambition for this league? Nowhere near it.
“We’ve been playing clubs that have got ten times the budget in this league, but we deserve this.
“We haven’t had to rely on points deductions to do it. We absolutely deserve it so roll on next season in a couple of weeks’ time.”
At the beginning of their first season back in the Championship for 12 years, it was widely regarded that a finish just above relegation would constitute a successful season.
Sweet said: “I am more proud than I think I’ve ever been of a team of players, a team of staff, that’s coaching staff and staff behind the scenes that have worked their nuts off during these few weeks.
“I’m more proud of this wonderful board of people that keep supporting this wonderful club through these difficult times.
“I’m so proud of those supporters back there, because we’ve heard them today. We can feel that support. The anxiety before today’s game was just in these bricks and mortar at Kenilworth Road and that’s because of them.
“There’s never been a time when we’re more together. Roll on next year because we’re looking better all the time.”
The last nine games have been immense, I have never felt so nervous for the club in all my life. Nathan Jones has gone from Hero to villan to a Super Hero in such a short space of time. Welcome home Nathan. My final note is give Simon Sluga a long contract before we lose him too. COYH