Graeme Jones signalled for the first time that a January transfer swoop will be required after his Luton side slumped to a 3-0 defeat to fellow Championship strugglers Stoke City.
Town virtually gifted the Potters three goals after a decent first 35 minutes, with James McLean scoring after Andrew Shinnie was caught in possession.
Joe Allen then bagged a brace, one from a first half injury time header as he was unmarked to despatch a header. And then he notched another, five minutes in the second half after Glen Rea – making his return to action after almost a year out with a knee injury – was caught in possession.
It was Town’s sixth straight away day defeat, with 20 goals conceded in that time and just three scored, as they could only muster one shot on target all game.
“I can’t do anything until January the first, I’ve got to get the best out of what I’ve got, that’s the truth, that’s what I’ve been doing all along, and I’m going to have to have a long term plan.”
Chief executive Gary Sweet has previously hinted that there would be little money available in the New Year, due to the Hatters’ ongoing battle to build Newlands Park and Power Court, where a new 17,5000-seat stadium has planning permission.
Asked if there would be funds available in January, Jones said: “Nobody’s told me any different.
“I think you have to measure we’re 21 games in, fourth bottom of the table, so it’s job done at this moment in time.
“But the job won’t be done if we keep making those errors, and that’s where the work is in the short term and the long term we need to make sure we improve on what we’ve got.
“Ultimately they (the players) need to take responsibility and we’re talking about tactics, I’ll take responsibility for the tactics.
“Now for 35 minutes, were the tactics working? No problem at all, a great understanding.
“What you can’t do is shoot yourself in the foot, that’s exactly what we did tonight, gave ourselves another mountain to climb.
“Saturday we’re 1-0 down, we got back in the game, won the game eventually, but you can’t keep doing it and at the minute, that’s our Achilles heel.”
