“Do you believe in miracles?“ That was the first question put to Rob Edwards as he prepares his Hatters for potentially their last dance in the Premier League.
Many have drunk the top-flight Kool-Aid since its inception in 1992, sipping to such an extent that it’s like football did not exist before the rebrand. But it did.
Edwards was nine years old when the change came, but now as a 41-year-old football manager, and after just 18 months in charge of Town, he knows full well that his club, and its supporters – for whom he has declared his love – have been in worse scrapes than the mathematical equations required to see Luton to safety this time around.
While the last ten years has seen a remarkable rise from the non-league to the Premier League, to Hatters fans of a certain vintage, relegations are just part of the package. And none will ever hurt like that one in 2009 after a 30-point deduction before a ball had been kicked.
Even in the ascent of the last decade, there was a final day Great Escape to stay in the Championship under Edwards’ predecessor Nathan Jones. This time, to avoid the trap door back to the second tier, at the very least, Luton must not lose at West Ham tomorrow.
And then it would be all eyes on Chelsea to see if they can beat Nottingham Forest in the evening kick-off to reduce the current three points arrears with one game then to go.
The Reds matching Town’s result won’t add up, realistically to survival, due to their better goal difference, by 11, so it’s not in the Hatters’ hands. But in answering that opening question of his pre-match press conference, Edwards said: “I don’t think it’s a miracle at all. I think we’ve been in worse situations as a football club, actually, and got out of it.
“We know what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to pick up points and it’s got to start tomorrow.
“We’ll concentrate on ourselves and obviously we’re going to need help, but we all know how difficult it is to win in the Premier League.
“We’ve got to try to do that and then Forest and Burnley have got difficult games as well. They’re all tough, but without us doing our job it doesn’t matter what anyone else does.”
The hope is that with a positive result, a resurgent Chelsea, chasing European football, and coming off the back of thumping five past Luton’s next opponents, the Hammers, can oblige and ensure the relegation scrap goes down to the last match.
Whether it’s still a three-horse race would also depend on Burnley (five points adrift) beating Tottenham, as they will then host Forest on the final day.
“The odds are against us, but they have been all season long. We’ll see where we’re at next Sunday, but that all depends on tomorrow and how we perform,” said Edwards.
“I don’t want to look back at the moment and think about things like that (regrets) when we can achieve something really special.”
Victory at West Ham and defeat for Forest would put the two relegation rivals level on points with one last, huge game to go.
“We’ll give it everything,” said Edward, adding: “It’s always the time to leave it all out there. It’s now or never.
“We knew coming into these final few games that we were going to have to get points. We’re in the situation with two games to go that we must get something from the game tomorrow and even then we’re still waiting to see what happens in the game after us, that’s fine.
“We’ll concentrate on the game, we’ve had a good week, we’re prepared and we’re ready to leave it all out there.”
In order to take Town’s season to the last game, they must spoil the farewell party for Hammers boss David Moyes, as the clash will be the last at the London Stadium in charge of the current Europa Conference champions.
The Irons announced the Scot will leave the east London club when his contract runs out this summer.
But Edwards expects that United fans will demand a reaction to the 5-0 drubbing they were handed by Chelsea last week.
“We’ll expect the best West Ham,” said the Hatters boss, adding: “David Moyes has obviously done an incredible job there, and I’m sure he’ll get the reception he deserves in his final home game there.
“He’s brought them a trophy, consistent top half finishes, European football, and done very, very well, so I’m sure he’ll get a great response from the supporters and then it’s about what the players can do when they go over the line and the whistle kicks the game off. Time will tell on that one.”
For Luton, there’s only one option. Attack. With joint top scorer Carlton Morris and Ross Barkley over the illness that saw them miss Tuesday’s awards bash, and with the impressive return of Town’s other top marksman, Elijah Adebayo, there is hope.
And with the good news that speedster Chiedozie Ogbene is fit to face West Ham, after more than a month out injured, Luton go into their do-or-die clash with something approaching a full strength side, excluding those with season-ending injuries.
For much of 2024, Edwards has barely had a bench from which to pick game-changers, but now, should he need some, those options are improved.
“We always try and push. I like to think that since we’ve been at this football club, our substitutions have always been positive,” Edwards said.
“We’ve always tried to take risks, more forward, more goals on the pitch. I don’t think anyone could ever disagree with that.
“We’ve never really tried to block things up and be safe. I encourage the players to be brave and take risks and that’s been our mantra from day one.
“Like we finished the last game strongly against Everton, we’ll try to do the same again.”
Against the Toffees, keeper Thomas Kaminski was sent up for the final barrage of corners, as Town chased a victory that frustratingly didn’t come.
It’s the same again at West Ham, though a point, and Chelsea inflicted snookers, could still give Luton the platform they need for their desired final day act of escapology.
On whether the Hatters will go all out, if indeed they are able in the final stages, for a photo finish befitting a stadium that hosted the London Olympics in 2012, Edwards said: “It’s interesting and something we’ll probably chat about when we talk about scenarios and certain things, as a group of staff, later on today and tomorrow.
“We certainly want to go for the win but we understand as well that taking something from the game is a must.
“Sometimes you smell that, as well, what the right thing to do is. I do like taking a risk. Sometimes fortune favours the brave.”
When it comes to what the Luton boss believes in, that’s more the measure of the man than hoping for miracles.
