We’re almost midway thought the transfer window and Luton have been on the wrong end of a loan deal as Sheffield United recalled left back Rhys Norrington-Davies and then sent him to see out the season at Stoke City. There’s something about the Potters putting a New Year spanner in the works, isn’t there?
Rumours swirled that Town’s other loan ace, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, might also be recalled by his parent club, Leicester City. Here’s everything the Hatters manager said today about the midfielder and the prospects of any other movement in the market before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has won the club’s player of the month award, have you blocked all phone numbers with a Leicester dialling code?
Jones: “There is nothing we can do. That is what we said earlier on, when you take a loan signing, you are exposed. We don’t like taking loan signings but we do it in extraordinary circumstances because we feel they can significantly improve us. If they can significantly improve us and we know there are ones on a permanent we can take on a level, then that is why we do a loan.
“We know there are pitfalls in taking a loan because you are exposed and at the call of the parent club and even the player at times. That is why we don’t like doing it but Kiernan is in a wonderful place, very content, very happy and playing well.
“So look, it would be logical and he’s at a very logical club. We have a good relationship with Leicester. When JJ (James Justin) went there, everyone was delighted because they could see that it was the right club for him so I don’t envisage any problems but I can’t categorically say no.”
Are you expecting any business before the weekend?
Jones said: “That might be difficult, but we’re actively seeking to improve the squad as we do in all windows, this is one of the most difficult windows and we don’t want a knee-jerk (reaction) as this is a difficult window, but we’re going to definitely have to need to strengthen in one position which we know about and we go from there.”
With Rhys Norrington-Davies leaving, do you plan for that and have players in mind incase a loan player does get recalled?
Jones said: “We always have lists of everything, we didn’t think we’d need to activate that list quite as soon as a month ago, you asked me a question of was I delighted that the Sheffield United manager had come out and said he’s (Norrington-Davies) going to stay, then suddenly out of the absolute blue, he’s recalled and sent to Stoke.
“That came as a bit of a shock as we didn’t think we need to activate our lists now, but we have those lists, it’s just in January those lists are dare mo difficult to implement.”
Would Norrington-Davies’ departure hinder a loan move for Brendan Galloway to go out and get game time?
Jones said: “We’ve spoken about Brendan. We will let Brenan go out, because it’s only fair to him, but we won’t do it at our own expense. So, we will need to bring in someone in that position and Brendan needs games and he’s probably going to get that elsewhere.”
With a lack of goals from the forwards is that an area that you’re looking at?
Jones said: “It’s an area that needs to improve. Now whether it’s the current ones improving, or we improve that, that’s something we need to do.
“We need to score more goals, we need to take chances more as we do create chances more.
“We went Middlesbrough the other day who are doing very well, and created more chances than them, we just didn’t take them. We had glorious chances the other day, but you have to understand that to get Championship goals is not easy, and is not cheap, so there’s a lot of things.
“We can’t go out and get a Charlie Austin because he’s out of our budget and we don’t cry about that we’re not moaning and groaning, we know where we are, we do work with the players that have been very successful with us.
“Now, we’re going to need one or two to find form, but if every time someone loses form, we go sign another player, it’ll be such a merry-go-round you won’t believe. Now, what we need now is our players to step up, our players to find that form, to find that confidence and go from there.
“The difference in quality sometimes in a Champions League player and a League Two player is the decision. If there was a ball and everyone had a fair wind and you asked them to pass it 10-yards, everyone could do it exactly the same, it’s just in tight situations, decision-making is key and is paramount and that’s when quality comes into it.
“But we have some wonderful technical players that can do things that are high-end, now we have to make sure they do those in games when pressured, when the pressure is on and when they are under scrutiny, so it’s all about work.
“You can’t just go out and buy quality, quality, quality, as not all the best players in the world make the right decisions, so we just have to keep working. Yes, at the minute we are lacking real fluency in our goalscoring, but we work on it constantly, we encourage them to be that, and it’s just about doing the right things over a long period of time.”
