Luton boss Rob Edwards has said he’ll look at “tweaks” and changes to try to solve Town’s issues with shipping goals but insists his side rarely play a three-man defence when out of possession.
The Hatters’ formation has become a big talking point among fans, with the perception that the use of three central defenders is not working, particularly as only five Championship teams have conceded more than their 13 in eight matches so far.
And in midweek against Oxford, Luton’s fragility was exposed again when despite having a two-goal lead, they were pegged back and had to hold on for a point.
That has left Luton with just two victories to their name, sitting one point above the drop zone and facing a trip to the only side yet to lose in the Championship this term, in Sheffield United.
Asked if he’s still happy with playing three defenders, Edwards said: “I think, since we’ve gone with this kind of press anyway, normally, out of possession, we’re never a three on that last line anyway, unless the opposition have three up there.
“So I’m not really having that argument because whatever they (opposition) might build in, we’ve almost matched that. But we can certainly make tweaks and it doesn’t mean that we don’t try and change things if you think certain things aren’t working. Not at all. I’m not that stubborn or silly.
“So we’ll look at that. But I think over the the last few months, we always look at who, say Alfie or if it was last season maybe Issa (Kabore) or Amari’i (Bell) or whoever, Reuell, one of them would normally bump in to give us a back four on that last line anyway.
“So, the animation and when the game is actually live and going on, it doesn’t always look like what you just write up on the board.”
Curiously, Luton’s best defensive displays have been in the two games where red cards reduced them to ten men. At Portsmouth, the Hatters managed to dominate the game for 60 minutes after keeper Thomas Kaminski was sent off.
Then on Tuesday, when Oxford were in the ascendancy and threatening to take the lead, Liam Walsh was introduced from the bench only to last 36 seconds when a two-footed challenge on Sikiri Dembele ended is evening instantaneously. But, from there, having looked so vulnerable all second half, Luton controlled the game, and looked the more likely to score.
Both times, Town reverted to what looked a more recognised back four and asked what he has learned from this shutouts, Edwards said: “I think exactly what I said after the game the other day. Remember, I said how hard we ran back and across, the urgency that we showed then, with ten men? You need to do that with 11.
“There’s a few things that we’ve shown to players, without giving too much away. We were more compact, so we weren’t pressing at every opportunity in every moment. So you’re not opening up as much space for the opposition, so there’s one thing there to think about.
“But again, as well, as soon as we pressed, we close the space again, so it was almost like we’d go and then come back in.
“I showed an example the other day (to players) where we pressed with 11 men, but then stayed and then that ball goes in behind us.
“Working harder. Thinking more. Realising there’s no hiding place. When you’re down to ten men you’ve got to do it. And having that mindset with, with 11, which has always been our case and has always been the message.
“But, you’re right, we’ve had 80 minutes or so with ten men and looked really solid in those two games. So, we know we can do it.
“It’s a good point that you make and we have raised that as well.”
Last term, Edwards recognised that Luton’s start to the Premier League season was not what he wanted his side to be doing and after a passive defeat at Brentford, he made much-talked-about changes to his approach that went on to bring dividends and results around the turn of the year.
Asked if he’s at that stage in this Championship campaign, the manager said: “No, I think you do it on a game by game basis. And we’ll always try and make changes and tweaks. So offensively, we tried to make some tweaks and change the other day (against Oxford).
“Obviously, we changed the shape, playing with the front two and that midfield three. I think it gave us a nice little bit of a something different with a little bit more of a think forward, play forward, run forward, mentality which obviously worked for a period of time.
“But then we got a lot wrong then on the other side of the game. So, clearly, then going into this game (at Sheffield United), we’re always looking at ways, (saying) ‘right, we have to improve some things. We have to make some tweaks with certain moments and how we go about it.’
“But really, we’re always trying to do that. You can’t make wholesale changes all the time because then the lads, there’s nothing for them to hold on to and fall back on if it’s not quite working.
“But at the same time, I take the point that you’re making, then you’ve got to look at it and go, if something’s not working, then we’ve got to be able to address that as well.
“So, we’re always looking at that as, clearly, the bits that we’ve got wrong, no doubt about it. And we’re trying to make those improvements.”
