With Luton’s Championship survival hopes resting on one last push, Liam Walsh is not just available to face the final test against West Bromwich Albion today – he’s trusted by boss Matt Bloomfield.
The red card scare has passed after the FA overturned his controversial third dismissal of the season in last week’s 1-0 win over Coventry. What remains is an opportunity to continue his redemption story, and for the27-year-old to help deliver another midfield masterclass to help the Hatters over the line.
Victory at The Hawthorns will secure Town’s second tier status and they have been significantly boosted in those aims by a successful appeal against his red card, and Bloomfield said: “It’s the right decision.”
In the heat of a relegation battle, incidents like that can define seasons. Walsh had been head and shoulders the best player on the park against Coventry last week and his marching orders on 68 minutes levelled the manpower after City had Jay Dasilva sent off early in the contest.
If it hadn’t been for Shandon Baptiste’s late winner, there may have been more scrutiny on the incident, which still saw an already harshly booked Walsh unwisely push Luis Binks in the chest, only for the defender to hit the deck clutching his face.
Furthermore, had the red card stood, Walsh would have missed today’s crucial final game at West Brom. Instead, the appeal was upheld, and Bloomfield now has a vital player back in his plans.
But more than just a squad option, Walsh represents the kind of player Luton have relied on during their recent run of six wins and three draws in their last 11 games: combative, technical, and composed under pressure.
That balance – aggression without recklessness – is crucial now more than ever and Bloomfield seems confident Walsh has the maturity to walk that line.
He said: “We want to him to not be anywhere near any trouble. But, also, he’s he’s at his best when he plays with an edge. His passing is crispy, he bites down in tackles and drops on second balls. We’ve got to be careful not to take him too passive and we don’t have the same player.
“So, absolutely, we don’t want any more red cards. We’ve discussed it. but I thought the evidence is there. He was very harshly done by. And he’s been in great form recently and that’s the Welsh we need on the pitch.”
Walsh’s season hasn’t been straightforward. Dogged by past injuries, and two red cards in the first half the campaign, which saw him suspended, becoming the subject of so much ire that he issued a public apology to fans. In his social media post he promised to return and prove his credentials to supporters and he’s finally put together a consistent run of form to live up to his words.
“He’s barely missed a session since we’ve been here,” Bloomfield said of Walsh, adding: “And that consistency is now coming out in his performances.”
Speaking prior to the Coventry clash last week, Bloomfield said: “Walshie’s someone who I admired from afar at his different clubs during my playing career. I’m a bit of an anorac I always used to watch the games and see different leagues. And he’s always someone who I’ve always felt the injury have taken away a huge number of games for him and that he’s a top player
“And that probably slightly contradicts the fact that I didn’t pick him in the first few games because I felt we had a lot of midfielders at that time and trying to find the best combination wasn’t an easy process to go through because they all had different qualities and parts of their game that you admired and maybe parts of you trying to put together.
“But as soon as he came in against Sheffield United, I thought he was excellent. He’s such an intelligent footballer, quite quiet and unassuming, but has more leadership than you realise, in terms of the way he goes about his work.
“You can always give him information. He’ll take it onto the pitch. We also know he’s a lovely passer of the ball and all those technicality bits that he’s brought, but the thing I’ve loved about him is the defensive side of the game and that defensive shape that we’ve spoken about a number of times.
“He’s really gone about his business, really, really well, really diligently and there’s been a couple of things that we’ve spoken about along the way that he’s really making made a big effort to to improve.”
Be the first to comment