Jack Wilshere has revealed he and the Luton players have had “honest chats” in the wake of the defeat at Wigan as belief remains a central issue away from home.
While tomorrow Town return to home comforts – where they have a ten-game unbeaten streak – for the visit of Burton, Wednesday’s reverse against the relegation-threatened Latics was Town’s sixth on the spin while four of the last five on their travels have ended in a 1-0 defeat.
It saw the Hatters miss an opportunity to close the gap between them and Huddersfield in the final play-off place, but it was even harder to take because Wigan had not won at home since early December. Yet they managed more shots on target than Town’s two, while in contrast to the Hatters shot and goal shy output, former striker Joe Taylor bagged the winner 13 months after being deemed surplus to requirements at Kenilworth Road.
“When you lose a game, I’m always down,” Wilshere said. “Because when you care so much and you’re so in it, you’re so convinced that we’ve done everything we can to try and win a game, you’re then naturally disappointed.”
He added: “Straight after the game I asked the players what they think and we had some honest chats and people spoke up. I’ve never doubted that in this group. I’ve never doubted the leaders.
“We have to put it into action. It’s easy at times to say the right things, but we have to go on the pitch and try and deliver that. And at the minute, away from home, we’re not doing it.”
While he kept the finer details of those chats with players private, the Luton manager was clear on the broader pattern.
“I think the conversation should remain private between coaches and players, but I think it’s quite clear for everyone to see that when things get a little bit harder, especially away from home, we don’t manage that well enough. We don’t cope with that.
“Whether that will be with us on the ball, we stop playing or we get a little bit deeper, our distances become bigger, which makes it really hard. You think about the Wigan goal, it’s one duel and they’re in. That’s not us, that’s not who we are.”
Wilshere believes addressing that fragility is as much psychological as tactical.
“There’s obviously something that happens when we face a little bit of adversity that we have to get better at. I have to make the players believe more. I have to give them more confidence.
“It doesn’t just turn around like that in football. You have to keep going. You have to keep working in a way that gives the players clarity, that the players get success with it, and then they have to be more consistent with it. At the moment we’re not.”
Wilshere said he’ll draw on his own playing career with Arsenal, West Ham, Bournemouth and England to guide them.
“I draw from loads of things, all my experiences in football, the moments where I had loads of belief, the moments where I didn’t believe.
“Individually, it’s easier to give the players belief, but collectively it’s probably a little bit harder. It’s something you have to keep working on, keep showing the players what they’ve done well and what we need to get better at. We need to improve things away from home, for sure. And I think belief is a big thing.”
Wilshere also addressed the players, including Ali Al-Hamadi and Jordan Clark, speaking directly to angry supporters in the stands at Wigan after the final whislte.
“It’s a sign that the players care,” he said, adding: “They have massive respect for the fans. They understand they travelled a long way on Wednesday night and pay a lot of money.
“It’s not always easy to do that. It takes character. Sometimes it can help if you hear the fans and listen to what they’re saying.
“I don’t mind it from the players. It’s a sign of respect and we all understand their frustrations.”
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