New Luton boss Matt Bloomfield is not daunted by his first managerial job in the Championship as he’s already got a pair of cup giant-killing receipts this season to prove his credentials.
The 40-year-old was yesterday named as Rob Edwards’ successor, tasked with turning around Town’s fortunes and steering them away from the second tier relegation zone.
Bloomfield takes over a side on a five-game losing streak in all competitions, with 11 consecutive away defeats, having lost the most amount of games in the division (15) and conceding the second most goals behind basement boys Plymouth.
And though the former Wycombe boss had one season in the Championship as a player for the Chairboys, making 19 appearances in the 2020/2021 season, Saturday’s visit of Preston North End will be his first in charge of league match in the division.
However, his Wanderers side, who he left riding high, second in League One, have this season knocked second tier Swansea and Portsmouth out of the League Cup and the FA Cup, respectively.
Friday’s 2-0 triumph over Pompey proved to be Bloomfield’s final game in charge of the Buckinghamshire club, but he believes the two victories will stand him in good stead with the Hatters.
“The footballing principles that we play with, I think you can put over the different divisions. I think the game’s very similar but also, ultimately, (there) is going to be some slight differences as well,” said Bloomfield.
“I’ve watched a lot of Championship football. The fact of the matter is I’ve never managed in the Championship. That’s the fact.
“But can we integrate the way we try and play into the group that we’ve got here? We really believe so. We’ve (Wycombe) had two games against Championship opposition this year, so we’ve had a first-hand look at the way those two teams play, Swansea in Portsmouth.
“We’re very pleased how we played against those two teams. It’s about learning for us as well, obviously very, very quickly. We’ve watched a lot of football and tried to come to terms with the level as quickly as possible. And we’re really excited to to do what we can do as soon as possible.”
Bloomfield’s Wycombe side have mixed it with the third-tier moneybags sides Birmingham City and Wrexham this term, outscoring all-comers with 50 goals already to their tally.
And while the Chairboys’ current good form is the opposite end of the spectrum to under-performing Luton, Bloomfield’s first experience in management, saw him steer Colchester United away from League Two relegation.
“I’ve already been wanted by more clubs in my managerial career than I did my playing career, so that’s got to be a bonus, I guess,” joked the manager, who spent 19 years playing 558 games for Wycombe.
“When I took the job at Colchester, I really wanted to get away from Wycombe and stand on my own two feet, take a risk in my life. To risk failing. That was what I was doing there, because I didn’t want to get the job by default at Wycombe.
“From there, it’s been a rollercoaster of a journey. We managed to turn things around at Colchester, really proud of the job we did there.
“(We) went back to Wycombe and really tried to be us, implement our style on the group, and it’s presented some really exciting opportunities to go to Wycombe and now to come to Luton. I have to say how pleased I am to be here.”
he added: “The opportunity to go to Colchester was crucial in that step. I had to make it work because if you don’t make your first job work, you very rarely get a second opportunity. So at that point, it’s about surviving and and figuring out what you need to do, to make it make a success of it.
“And I’ve still got loads to learn. I absolutely understand that. I’m only two-and-a-half years into the (managerial) journey but, I’m really eager to learn and try and move my journey on, aligned with this football club.”
And Bloomfield believes there are enough parallels between his old club and his new one.
“The heritage of Luton is about hard work, respect, grit, determination, delivering for the supporters. And I really felt that Wycombe stands for a lot of that as well,” he said.
“So it felt comfortable to come to this football club. We want to attack as much as we possibly can, but there’s some very, very good footballers here. And we’re looking forward to working with them.
“Whilst I’m sure we’re going to reference the team at Wycombe, this is a new start. This is a new team that we’re looking forward to working with.
“And whilst I hope there’ll be similarities, this is a very respectful group of players that we’re really excited to work with.”
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