Luton must find alternative ways of progressing the ball when opponents succeed in limiting playmaker Liam Walsh’s influence, Chris Powell has warned with Town set to face the best defence in League One.
The midfielder has become an increasingly important part of Jack Wilshere’s side since joining the Hatters, with his ability to receive possession in tight areas and dictate play making him a key route through midfield.
But with Luton’s opponents becoming more aware of his importance, Powell believes the Hatters have to be prepared to adjust when teams attempt to take him out of the game.
Stevenage managed to stifle the Liverpudlian as the Hatters lost 2-1 to their near neighbours a week ago.
“I think teams know that he’s a key player and he’s one that we like to build play through,” assistant manager Powell said.
“But we’ve got others and we’ve got to recognise sometimes that when they’re on him, maybe we go through whether it’s [Dan] Gore, a [Kasey] Palmer or another player.
“He’s brave, he accepts it in tight areas, and that’s the way Jack [Wilshere] has built this identity.”
That could prove particularly relevant when Bradford arrive at Kenilworth Road on Saturday having conceded just four goals from their opening six League One matches — the best defensive record in the division.
The Bantams have also scored only six times, however, meaning Luton could face a game where breaking down a well-organised defence is more important than simply matching an opponent’s attacking threat.
Powell believes Luton have to continue developing the ability to solve those problems rather than becoming overly reliant on one route through the opposition.
“We’ve got to keep working; it’s still quite early at six games now. Won two, drawn two, lost two. Can we be better? Yeah. We’ll improve, absolutely.”
The challenge for Luton against Bradford will therefore be to make sure Walsh remains a threat without allowing the visitors to make him a focus of their defensive strategy.
Palmer provides one obvious alternative in midfield, though he has started the last two games on the bench, while Luton showed in the last home game — despite only drawing with Leyton Orient — that they can create through the likes of Gideon Kodua and their wide players. The Hatters will need to show more that variety again against Bradford.
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