Kal Naismith could make his 100th appearance for Luton at Fleetwood tomorrow and boss Jack Wilshere has pushed back against criticism of his captain, insisting the defender has been a driving force rather than a weakness in the first half of the season.
The skipper’s last outing was an impressive one in the 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers, but prior to that, some supporters had questioned his form and there have been incidents where the Scot has fired back at fans in the stands after they aimed insults at his team-mates.
And Wilshere argued that the defender has stood up in difficult periods, lifted standards in training and setting the tone for younger players in a squad.
“Of course, I can hear the fans and I read some stuff as well and I just don’t agree. I just don’t agree,” Wilshere said when asked about criticism. “I think at times this season when we’ve conceded cheap goals, he’s the guy who stood up and he’s the guy who demands more from his team-mates. He’s the guy in training who’s driving standards and making sure people aren’t late and making sure people are on time.”
Naismith also publicly called on supporters to rally around the team after the 5-0 League One drubbing at Barnsley, where the players were met with boos, to which he said, “That’s never been Luton fans.”
“He really cares,” said Wilshere, adding: “Number one, he cares about his team-mates, but he also really cares about the club and bringing the club back to where it belongs and getting promoted out of this division and then seeing where we’re at and he has a real big ambition.”
The manager added: “I know that if I was a fan of a club, I would want someone like that in my club, who cares, who’s passionate. He’s been outstanding for me and I really rate him as a player.
“He’s been outstanding and for me as well, having someone with leadership qualities, who stands up in tough moments, who’s faced adversity himself at times. He’s respected, number one, with the staff, but also with the players.”
The manager is only one month older than his captain, but speaking of his first impressions of Naismith when he arrived in the job in October, Wilshere said: “When I first came to the club and I sat down with Kal, I could really feel his desire to come back. He was here before and then left and he couldn’t quite believe he got the opportunity to come back and try and be successful here again and get the club back to where it belongs.”
While Naismith has been strong enough to carry expectation, Wilshere said there is a human toll to the pressure.
“He’s our captain and our leader and he sets the standards and tries to bring others with him and demand more from everyone, but we also have to understand he is human,” the Hatters boss said. “We need to support him and give him love because it’s not always been easy for him this season.”
Luton go to Fleetwood tomorrow looking to reach the third round of the FA Cup and Wilshere expects Naismith to relish the challenge after his strong showing against Bolton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry last weekend.
He said: “Amario’s arguably the best player in the league and for someone to control him and be aggressive from the first minute, if anyone watches the game back, it’s the first minute he’s there, he kills Amario’s spirit and yet he’s a top defender, but also he’s really good with the ball.”
Wilshere added: “My message to him is we love him as coaches, the players respect him massively and we need him for sure.”
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