Sonny Bradley says Luton owe fans a reaction to last week’s 7-0 shellacking at Brentford with the defender admitted that relegation beckons with any more repeats.
Today’s Championship clash at home to Wigan is a relegation six-pointer, with Town currently one point and one place above the Latics in the drop zone.
The Lancashire side are on a seven-game winless streak and Hatters captain Bradley is full aware of the significance of the game.
“It’s huge,” the defender said, adding: “Every game does feel massive but when you’re playing a team that are in and around you, whether that’s at the top or the bottom, there is obviously and extra level of importance.
“We need to show a massive reaction and we owe the fans a performance and a result.
“We need to come out fighting. We need to show that fighting spirit that I recognise with Luton Football Club.
“I’m sure we’ll get it. We had it against Leeds and Charlton, but we’re not doing it consistently. Last season, we performed consistently, and we handled it, whereas this season it’s two games on and one game off, or four games off and one game on and that’s not good enough right now.
“I think we’re better than that. We’re better professionals than that and we need to pick up otherwise, if we perform like we did (at Brentford) we’ll find ourselves relegated at the end of the season.”
Asked about Bradley’s comments, Jones said: “It’s good, but we need to see it in actions. That’s where I make decisions, that’s where I judge, so the boys have got the right intention. The reaction has been good this week to what has happened.
“We need to react in the right way on Saturday, if we react in the right way I’m sure the result will follow.”
Jones had dropped Bradley for two games last month, against Reading and Bristol City, saying at the time that he took the centre half “out of the firing line”.
After last weekend’s hammering, Town now have the division’s leakiest defence, with 40 conceded in 19 games and, explaining the decision, Bradley said: “For me, personally, I sat down with the manager and had a really good chat. I felt like I hadn’t been at my best. We went through a lot, where I could improve, and he just said I needed a break and that I shouldn’t be playing.
“I understood it. I came back against Leeds and I felt like I put in a solid, honest performance and the same against Charlton.”
