Nathan Jones has praised his side’s defence and build-up play for much of this season but admitted that Luton’s attack is only “adequate” and “has room for improvement.”
The Hatters have netted just 14 times in 16 league games and, on Saturday, they drew a sixth Championship blank of the season in a 2-0 defeat in Swansea, where Luke Berry missing a sitter.
Town travel to face Coventry tonight at their temporary groundshare home at Birmingham City, and the manager said: “We do score some very good, fluent goals. We’re very regimented from set plays but sometimes I’d be quite happy to score scruffy goals and deflected goals.
“I saw one the other day with Norwich. Because Norwich shoot and pepper the goal, they equalised against Brentford and went on to win the game with a purely deflected shot.
“And that’s what happens when you take that and we have to be more positive, in terms of that. I want us to be because, I think between both boxes we’re excellent. Defensively, on the whole, we’ve been very good. We’ve been adequate attacking-wise, but there’s room for improvement.”
And Jones used Connor Roberts’ opener for Swansea in the second minute on Saturday, as an example of what Luton have to do in terms of trying their luck more.
“We work on our attacking play all the time, we really do and it’s just sometimes, some people have it in their mentality,” said the Hatters boss.
“You look at Connor Roberts. He’s a player that’s playing with confidence and he scored a couple of weeks ago against Forest. The shot is not going in, in any way, shape or form, until it takes a deflection (off Matty Pearson), but that fact that he’s had the shot meant they got off to the perfect start.
“It was a very fortunate goal, but he did take the shot, and that’s what we have to do at times.”
Town face a newly-promoted Coventry City side on a five-game unbeaten run, having beaten Rotherham United 3-1 at the weekend.
“They’re a good side,” said Jones, adding: “They’ve done very well. It’s a similar trajectory to us. It probably took a year longer, but Mark (Robins) has been there a long time, done a great job, got two promotions and I watched them a little bit last year when I was in-between jobs.
“They’re a good side and it’ll be a very tough game, as is every Championship game.
“I don’t think think they’ve got superstars. I think they’re similar to us in that way. I think a lot of those have come along with them and they’ve had real continuity there.”
Town’s Croatian international goalkeeper, Simon Sluga, who has missed the last two games through shoulder injury and is closer to a return, though Jones is in no mind to rush him back.
Martin Cranie will not be available, while captain Sonny Bradley is on compassionate leave after the death of his father.
Full-back Brendan Galloway is back in contention, having been on the bench for the last two games since recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in November 2018.
Rhys Norrington-Davies, Danny Hylton and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu are “a lot better” after suffering with fatigue.
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