Nathan Jones says he doesn’t feel any more pressure because of the £6million it would cost Luton if they were relegated.
The manager has returned for a second spell in the Hatters hotseat and has been charged with steering Town to Championship safety amid a Coronavirus-hit campaign that has battered the finances of football clubs.
Chief executive Gary Sweet has said relegation would mean “financial oblivion” that would effectively cost the club £6million on the back of a the three-month suspension of football, which has seen Town’s income decimated.
That hiatus comes to an end today when Town host Preston North End at 3pm. It’s the first of nine games in six weeks, in which Jones must claw back a six point deficit, which is effectively seven points because of the worst goal difference in the division.
“I don’t feel any more pressure than I put on myself,” said Jones, adding: “I have set standards in my life, if I fall short of those then I feel it myself, I don’t need anyone else to tell me that in anyway shape or form.
“I set my own standards, so I know the importance of remaining a Championship club, but I also knew the importance of remaining a League Two club and to get promoted in a certain time then again kicking on.
“At every point in my career I’ve realised the importance of the task, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken that on. I’ve not gone into anything naively or with my eyes closed so I know exactly the importance of doing well here and hopefully we can.”
Luton last played on March 7, when former boss Graeme Jones was still in charge. But the last time they were at home was February 29 in a 1-1 draw against Stoke City, who Jones left Luton for in January last year, only to be sacked in November.
He said: “I don’t necessarily feel like a failure. I just had a tough time at Stoke. I didn’t achieve the objectives that I set out to do, but I know that I did good work there. It wasn’t entirely failure.
“In these nine games a lot can happen. If you look at every website, we are at least second favourites to go down, but we can’t look at that.
“We have to take every game as it comes and they come thick and fast, so it’s little blocks of games and we have to see where that takes us.
“If we can build up some momentum, this is a group that’ll give me everything, and that’s half the battle. If you’ve got a group that can do that, then you rely on your tactical nous and your technical ability and so on.
“If we are found wanting at the end it won’t be for a lack of trying.”
