Dan Potts is a ‘great example’ of Luton’s improvement as a team, according to boss Graeme Jones, who said the left back has ‘reset’ himself after the 7-0 drubbing at Brentford.
That day in November, the Bees ruthlessly targeted the defender and in the following game, against Wigan, he went off injured after 20 minutes.
But the Town manager says Potts used that time to learn his lessons and come back stronger and in the return fixture against Brentford on Tuesday he, like many of his Hatters team-mates, redeemed himself as part of a 2-1 win.
Jones said: “Dan, technically, is good enough. Physically, he’s good enough and tactically good enough. Dan’s had to really improve mentally.
“So, if you think about Dan’s contribution last season because of James (Justin) and Jack (Stacey), it wasn’t huge. So, the first barrier for Dan was getting fit and training regularly. He got through that.
“The second barrier was giving the same level for three games a week, because he’s physically capable. Up until the Brentford (away) game he did that really, really well.
“The Brentford game wasn’t just Dan, it was 11 players that day and staff, we were all at fault for that day, but I think Dan probably felt it more than anybody. It was never intended that way. Some of the goals came down from his side.
“What he did with that, he got injured the following week, probably because Dan cares too much, and he reset, prepared himself, looked after himself, as the fantastic pro he is.
“He learnt his lessons and come back. He’s such an intelligent footballer and the level of performance he’s given us is outstanding.
“But, again, he’s needed a period of adaptation. He’s needed a period to make mistakes, to learn and not make those mistakes again and he’s a great example of our improvement as a team this season.”
As well as a wonderful rearguard performance from the whole of the Luton team in midweek against Brentford, who were the division’s second top goalscorers, Potts also continued to exhibit a more attacking side, slinging dangerous crosses into the penalty area and proving a menace at set-pieces.
Jones said: “It’s not always down to the player, sometimes the manager asks them to do certain jobs. The other night, he recognised that he could take his winger the other way.
“He’s athletically capable, which is a wonderful attribute. He’s now mentally capable of reproducing that level for three games a week.
“You look at somebody who’s a really, really consistent Championship performer now. Dan always had everything in his make-up and it was just about dragging it out of him. He’s done that nobody else.”
