Nathan Jones conceded that Norwich are like Manchester City at this level, but revealed that his preparations had been affected by the late Covid call-off of Tuesday’s clash against Rotherham.
Luton were out-classed by the Canaries, who opened up a ten-point lead at the summit of the division, and afterwards the manager conceded there was a clear gulf in class.
However, he made five changes to his starting line-up, despite arriving at Carrow Road off the back of consecutive Championship victories, and the Welshman revealed that those had been made with a view to focusing on Tuesday night’s home game.
But the clash with Rotherham was called off at 6pm yesterday evening after the Millers suffered coronavirus cases – and that was too late to do anything about their game plan for Norwich.
“We made changes with the Rotherham game in mind,” Jones confirmed.
“We found out (about the match being suspended) considerably later than when we did our prep work. We’ve been preparing for two games. It’s not a weakened team, it’s because we put in a big shift on Tuesday, then travelled.
“To do a big shift today, which we knew it would have to be, then travel again and go into the Rotherham game, we knew we had to change some things up.
“In all probability, we thought, ‘which is the one we’re probably more likely to win?’ I’m giving you some inside info here.
“Probably with the Rotherham game, the odds are stacked more in our favour than the Norwich one, so we made changes to this one to freshen stuff up, but it wasn’t to be.
“There was nothing we could do, but this is a great learning curve for us. These are the levels we want to attain and we weren’t at it today.
“But, I’m proud of my players. We stuck at it, didn’t see anyone throwing the towel in or giving up, we kept going right to the end, it’s just that these are a better side than us at this point in time.”
And that’s the thing, because when Luton have been beaten 3-0 or worse on the road previously this season, they’ll have been glad there weren’t fans there to boo them off. Here, however, you just have to give Norwich plaudits.
Town started brightly in a heartening opening 12 minutes, in which James Collins – one of those team sheet changes – hit the post with the goal gaping, but then Teemu Pukki took over.
Very much against the run of play, the Finland international smashed in City’s first chance to demonstrate to chasm in clinical finishing. The game swung dramatically from there and only ardent optimists could have seen the Hatters coming back.
Though they had come back to win from two goals down last weekend, against basement boys Sheffield Wednesday, they haven’t done so on the road this term. So, against the runaway table-toppers, it was a thankless task.
Luton were by no means inept, as they have been in some of their heavier defeats this term, but 29.9 per cent possession in the first half and one solitary corner won in the 69th minute testified to the fact that they just couldn’t lay a glove on the Canaries.
In stark opposition to that, the hosts landed knockout blows with clinical efficiency and probably should’ve had more, had Grant Hanley and Jacob Sørenson been more accurate.
As it was, the damage had already been done when Pukki bundled in at the back stick and was only denied a first half hat-trick by a superb Simon Sluga intervention. City were on cruise control until the hour mark when Elijah Adebayo, Harry Cornick and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu replaced Collins, Tom Ince and George Moncur.
“It’s been a bit disjointed, the preparation, but when we made the triple change, we looked a little more athletic,” said Jones.
“There was more freshness that came off the bench and we needed that today. We knew we’d need everyone at it, everyone to be on the front foot, everyone to put in a shift because these are a very, very good side.
“At this level, these are Man City, so they’re very difficult to play against.”
Even the small threat of a Town insurgency from the hour mark was quelled quite quickly, as Todd Cantwell danced too easily across the edge of the penalty area to drill low with unerring precision. It rendered the final 17 minutes a relative walk in the park for the hosts.
“These are a Premier League side,” said Jones, adding: “They’re recruiting and preparing for a different level than what we’re at and, at times, that showed. We have to take that on the chin, because we’re not quite at this level.
“That’s not me being negative, that’s me being realistic. So, if I chastise my players for this defeat, after the week we’ve had, beating Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, to come to Norwich and do that, maybe it was a little bit of a bridge too far.
“I’m proud of the group and the week we’ve had, but we have to realise that this is the level that we want to get to, but we’re not there yet.”
PLAYER RATINGS
Simon Sluga – 6
The keeper had no chance with Teemu Pukki’s opener and was unlucky with for his second and a slight deflection for Todd Cantwell’s third, but he pulled off a fine stop to deny the Finland international a third before half time and then to tip over an audacious back-heel in the second half.
Dan Potts – 4
He was completely given the slip by Teemu Pukki and didn’t track the striker at all, allowing him to steal in at the back stick and make it 2-0.
Kal Naismith – 6.5
The utility player continues to impress at centre half in the absence of both Tom Lockyer or Sonny Bradley. One strong challenge in partiular on Emi Buendia showed his determination.
Matty Pearson – 4.5
The stand-in skipper was unfortunate that his block on Emi Buendia’s shot ricocheted into the path of Teemu Pukki for the second goal, having gone close at the other end with a rare volley on the turn.
Martin Cranie – 3
Back in the starting line-up, the veteran had a torrid time against Todd Cantwell. He was given the slip by the City flyer to set up Teemu Pukki’s first and then he needed to do more to show the winger down the wing, rather than give the Norwich man the space to cut across the 18-yard line and put the game to bed.
Ryan Tunnicliffe – 5
Full of effort and application, he didn’t do a lot wrong but, like most of Town’s midfield spent it chasing shadows.
George Moncur – 4.5
In his first taste of action for four games, he had one promising run, crossing for James Collins early on, but Luton had such little possession he was forced into the weakest part of his game, tracking back. Replaced by Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu on 61 minutes.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 4
A fairly anonymous outing by his standards, but that owed much to Norwich’s ball retention. Replaced by James Bree on 78 minutes.
Tom Ince – 5
Another starting line-up returnee, he saw a fair amount of the ball in the first half, and was instrumental in Luton’s best chance, winning the ball back to start the move and then misdirecting a shot that saw James Collins’ eyes light up. But he was well chaperoned for most of his afternoon and then faded in the second period before being replaced by Harry Cornick on 61 minutes.
Luke Berry – 5
In his first start for a month, he showed willingness to run into spaces, pressed well without the ball and linked up play early on, but he was replaced at the break by Jordan Clark.
James Collins – 4
The striker returned to the starting line-up having warmed the bench for last three games. He had a golden chance to reinstate his case for a starting berth, but he hit the post in the seventh minute. It will go down as another big miss from the top scorer. Replaced by Elijah Adebayo on 61 minutes.
SUBSTITUTES:
Jordan Clark – 5
Came on at the interval, but looked liveliest from the hour mark when Town made a triple sub, that for a short period looked like it night give Luton a route back into a very one-sided game. Unfortunate that Todd Cantwell’s shot took a slight deflection off his leg on its way into the bottom corner for 3-0.
Elijah Adebayo – 6
He provides Town with a real focal point and that helped the Hatter improve as he held the ball up and wasn’t afraid to take players on.
Harry Cornick – 6
He instantly began harrying City’s lesser mobile defenders and managed a couple of crosses.
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu – 5.5
Gave Luton more drive in the midfield, though his final ball wasn’t quite precise enough.
James Bree – 5
Came on when Norwich had completed their scoring and all the damage was done, but still managed a useful cross that only just evaded Matty Pearson.
UNUSED SUBS: James Shea, Danny Hylton, Sam Nombe, Joe Morrell
Is ‘the level that we want to get to’, as NJ puts it, that of a team too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premiership – a yo-yo side challenging to get up one season and struggling to stay up the next? I suppose, in the end, the only way is up, and it would be an amazing achievement to get there, given our recent history. But, and it’s a big but, there’s a lot not to like about the Premiership. Money isn’t everything. As if you haven’t heard that before!
Firstly, Rotherham should be forfeiting games now. One outbreak is unlucky. Two is careless.
The performance was ok. 3-0 was harsh. But it was evidence of the need to scrap the parachute payments. Norwich will just get relegated again next season and then rinse the championship again, with tens of millions of extra cash in their bank.
Naismith had a tough first half but grew into it the second half. Sluga was good but maybe should have done better with the 3rd. And Berry and Moncur had good first half’s. They were the 2 changes that worked well.
But 3 of the changes failed. If Ince was right footed, we’d be moaning incessantly about his total lack of a left foot. He shouldn’t play with D-H as the balance is all wrong in midfield when there are 2 players without right feet. At best Ince will be fit by the end of the season and then will disappear to somewhere that will pay him more. I wouldn’t be disappointed if he went back to Stoke now. He’s a luxury our budget probably can’t afford.
Collo had to do a lot better today to push for a regular return. To not hit the target twice from inside the 6 yard box wasn’t great. And Cranie isn’t fast enough for fullback.
No point getting upset today, especially when the main difference was Norwich being much more clinical in front of goal. But hopefully lessons are learned. And if there’s any more late postponements, don’t be afraid to go back to what was working.