Rob Edwards has ruled out slow-build “total football” and says he wants his Luton side to carry on evolving as an aggressive, attacking side – because that’s what fans want.
The new Hatters boss will take charge of his first game tomorrow at Middlesbrough after former manager Nathan Jones left for Premier League Southampton.
It means Edwards takes over a Town side only one point off the play-offs and in relatively good form before the World Cup break.
The 39-year-old has already led Forest Green Rovers to the League Two title, with more points per game than Jones’ promotion-winning campaign in the fourth tier.
But the former manager had steered Town to a higher league position in every season, so there’s not a big rebuilding job needed, or even big changes required.
Speaking to the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust Podcast, Edwards said: “We want to be attractive and exciting to watch. We want the supporters, who are the most important people at any club, to enjoy watching their team play, and be proud to watch their team play.
“There’s got to be a big element of realism in our game. I don’t want people to think, he’s a younger coach and he’s going to have these kinds of ideas, or that we’re going to go total football and build up and it’s a slower game. I don’t think that’s what the fans want. They want an attacking, front-foot, aggressive style of football and that’s what I want.
“I want my team to excite me as well. I want them to take risks and all the while recognising that we’re going to make mistakes because that happens, so we’ve got to be really good at reacting and helping our mate out.
“If someone makes a mistake, don’t moan about it. I don’t want to see negative body language, go and try to win the ball back as quickly as possible and let’s go and attack again. That’s what I want.
“So far, I think the lads have really bought into some of those little tweaks that we’ve want to try to make, because we’ve got such an honest group that are willing to listen and try to take onboard messages from anyone, whoever would’ve come in (as manager).
“It’s about keeping that real identity of what we’re about already. That grit, that fight, that determination, that steeliness that we’ve got. And we want to try to build and add to that aggressive, attacking, fast football as well, if we can.”
Edwards added: “We’re not picking up the pieces, but we’re picking up a really stable, steady run, well-organised ship that has a lot of good players here. People are in good form, so it’s not a case of having to rip things up and start again, at all. It’s about doing the things really well, that are done really well and trying to evolve and keep building as we go, like Nathan would’ve wanted to if he’d have stayed.
“It is different to most opportunities when you come in part way through the season. You’d be looking at getting a quick fix, or trying to make fast changes to get results quickly.
“Of course we want to get results quickly, but the players are already in a good place.”
Listen to the full exclusive Rob Edwards interview below:
