Wilshere expects ‘little bit of edge’ as Luton renew Wycombe rivalry at stadium Hatters have never lost at

Jack Wilshere expects Luton Town to face a fired-up Wycombe Wanderers side this afternoon, despite the Hatters’ impressive record at Adams Park and the hosts’ struggles on home soil this season.

Town have never lost at Wanderers’ Adams Park ground but will head to Buckinghamshire on the back of two league defeats. In contrast, the Chairboys, under interim manager Tim Hounsell, are on a six-game unbeaten streak but are still waiting for their first home League One win of the campaign.

The Hatters won 2-1 at Adams Park in March last term, a result which ended an 11-game winless run on the road in all competitions, and was part of a 12-game unbeaten streak that almost got Town into the play-offs.

“There’s always that little bit of edge when they’re playing against Luton, so we expect no different,” said Wilshere, adding: “We had a good day there last year. It was off the back of a tough time away from home, so we’ve got fond memories, the players have got fond memories from there.

“Of course, it’s now a different team. They have an interim manager coming in, who’s done really well. Looking to play probably in a slightly different way than [Michael] Duff did, and, yes, he’s got a response out of players. So a different type of game, in different context and where they’re at, where we’re at.

“We know how important it is to us, and I said to the players this week, the time is to go now and put the pressure on teams and climb up the table. We have to find that consistency again. We’ve got two away games now where we have got an opportunity to do that starting [at Wycombe].

“We know the requirements away from home in this league and what you need to do. We learnt that the hard way last year. So yes, we need to remember that and take that into this game.”

Town sit in 16th in the league after a disappointing start to the campaign, where they’ve only won twice and lost three times. Expectations were heightened because of that 12-game run at the end of last term.

Asked if he had the feeling that Luton were getting closer to that level, Wilshere said: “Yes, I think so, and the way we work, you always have to keep showing the players that because we have to be inspired to work every day, and the players have to be inspired and feel like there’s something that they can reach, and it’s always that way.

“When you’re so process driven, and it has to be that way, in my opinion, ultimately the process is there to get results and win games of football, but there’s a certain way that I believe, that we believe, is the way to do that, and yes, we’re getting closer to that.”

Wilshere watched Wycombe’s midweek 4-1 EFL Trophy win over Bristol Rovers to assess their shape and structure, having been unable to attend their last league game against Reading which took place during the international break, because it coincided with his daughter’s 13th birthday.

Wilshere said: “I know probably not a lot of those players will play. Maybe some of them will. They did go quite strong. But I went more just to see what they do, their shape and their structure and what they’re trying to do. It was a good evening for that because I thought they were they were good on the night, scored four good goals.

“We know that it’s going to be a difficult game. We’ve had some good results against Wycombe. Even Boxing Day last year as well, we won the game 4-0 but, probably, the scoreline flattered us a little bit. They were good.”

Former Luton striker Cauley Woodrow scored in that game and he could also feature against his old club after summer signing Danny Ings was withdrawn from the Bristol game with a hamstring injury and will miss the clash.

Wilshere acknowledged that Woodrow could have extra motivation, having left Luton after the pair held difficult conversations during the summer.

“If I was a player, and if I was Cauley, I would feel the same,” he said, adding: “Cauley is someone who, I watched him, and I’ve known Cauley over the years. But when I came here last year, he wasn’t here. He was sent out on loan, and yes, we kind of built something and, unfortunately, Cauley wasn’t part of that.

“And then to bring him back in, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do for us, but also for him, I felt like it was the right thing to go. But, yes, big respect for Cauley. We had some sometimes difficult conversations in the summer, but really honest conversations, and I’m sure that he respects that from me.

“But I know he’s a good player. We know it. The lads will know it better than me. I watched him the other night against Bristol, and he shows some moments of magic, and I also think that probably since the new manager came in, it’s helped him a bit and he’s got back into the team, and he showed his quality. So yes, we’ll have to stop him for sure.”

Luton will be without Gideon Kodua who had surgery on a hamstring injury and will be out of action until the new year. Town’s other injured contingent of Benny Benagr, Shayden Morris and Jayden Luker, also all with hamstring issues, will also miss out.