Graeme Jones knows Luton must playing to James Collins’ strengths if they are to correct ‘the last little bit’ that will get their Championship campaign up and running.
Town travel to face Barnsley tomorrow with just one point from 12 and on the back of a first shutout of the season, having lost 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
Collins scored on his Championship debut in the 3-3 curtain-raiser against Middlesbrough but chances have been few and far between, as he has been asked to play a number of roles, including a deeper one against West Brom last weekend.
Jones said: “He had a change again on Tuesday night, which I thought suited him and I look at more the supply for James, rather than him.
“We’ve got to get the supply right, because he’s not an individual. He’s not that type who is going to take three or four players on – he’s not a (Kazenga) LuaLua or a (Callum) McManaman. So we are just working at that, that’s the last bit.
“At the minute, we’re working towards something. It hasn’t come overnight. If you’re talking about a platform and a canvass, then, defensively, from back to front, all the things we’ve worked at we executed.
“On the ball, our variety, playing out from the back, our middle third play was excellent. In the final third, we just need to be a bit more ambitious and that’s the last little bit. As a platform and as a product we’re nearly there.
“Psychologically we’ve taken huge steps. It was 54-46 (per cent) possession at Sheffield Wednesday in front of god knows how many people. We had seven off target and they had five. They had three on target and they had two and that’s were the work is.
“As a performance we are really, really close to getting what we want. We can’t lose anything, we’ve got to add but we’ve got better every game and that’s the only way I’m measuring it at the moment.”
The Tykes, who were promoted as League One runners up behind the Hatters, have fared slightly better on their return to the second tier. They won 1-0 against Fulham – one of the favourites for promotion – on the opening day and drew against League One play-off winners Charlton last weekend.
Town are still trying to transition under new boss Jones, having signed nine new players in the summer and losing star attacking full backs Jack Stacey and James Justin.
The Hatters chief said: “Without making excuses, it’s not about the ten that have come in, it’s the two that we lost, who were massive players here.
“We didn’t want to lose them, but when the Premier League comes calling it’s difficult to turn that down.
“That’s the business we’re in. You have to replace them and find different ways of playing. I think we’ve done that. I still think we’re in that process a little bit, so we’ll just have to see.
“I’m really optimistic for the game at the weekend and we’ll have to see where that takes us.”
