Danny Hylton is positive there’ll be no final day drama for Luton Town at the end of their second season in the Championship – because they shouldn’t have been in that position in their first term.
The Hatters achieved a remarkable Great Escape to preserve their second tier status, clawing back an effective seven-point gap to finish in 19th position.
They’d been in the bottom three since Boxing Day but, thanks to taking 16 points from a possible 27 points after football returned from a three-month Coronavirus shutdown, they survived.
But striker Hylton, who penned a new two-year deal a fortnight ago, believes Luton’s squad can have a more comfortable campaign when the season starts on the weekend of September 12.
“I thought the squad we had this season was too good to be doing that (fighting relegation), but things happened and we were where we were.
“The table doesn’t lie. But I’m positive that come this time next year, we won’t be talking about last day survival.
“I’m sure everyone will echo what I’m saying in that we believe we are better than that and if that was a season of being solid in the league and staying in the league, then we’ll be looking to kick on now.”
Manager Nathan Jones’ return for a second spell in charge proved a masterstroke by the Luton board, but even in his first stint, he spoke of having a squad that was good enough for the Championship.
Hylton said: “He was right. We were in the Championship and we survived in the Championship. I’m not speaking out of turn, I believe everyone will echo what I’m saying, but I believe this squad is better than where we finished.
“I don’t believe that we were a squad, or a team or a club that should have been fighting to stay up on the last day of the season. I don’t mean that disrespectfully to the league.
“I know it’s a fantastic league with fantastic teams, so we’ll be looking to kick on next season for sure and not fighting against relegation, so it was spot on, I suppose, what the gaffer said.”
