Luton Town head into today’s lunchtime’s trip to Plymouth Argyle looking to arrest a recent dip in away form against a side beginning to find momentum under familiar leadership.
Argyle are unbeaten in their last four league meetings with Luton, winning twice and drawing twice, their longest run against Town since a seven-game stretch spanning 1970 to 1997. The Pilgrims also come into the game off the back of a 3-0 home win over Burton and will be aiming to claim successive league victories at Home Park for only the second time this season.
Luton, meanwhile, have lost their last two away League One matches and will be keen to avoid three successive defeats on the road in the third tier for the first time since August 2018. That recent record contrasts with a stronger longer-term run in Devon, with Town winning three of their last five away league games against Plymouth and keeping four clean sheets in that spell.
Jack Wilshere expects a stern examination, not just tactically but mentally, pointing to the specific challenges of playing away from Kenilworth Road.
“You have to find a way of finding a little bit of comfort in the discomfort,” the Luton boss said.
“When you’re away from home, you have to manage momentum, you have to manage the crowd. I think decisions will go against you naturally when you’re away from home and that’s not a criticism of refs, it’s just the pressure of fans.
“We know that going down there we have to be ready from the start and expect that we’re going to be in a game from minute one.”
Wilshere also referenced previous away performances as evidence that improvement is possible, even if results have not always followed.
“I think about the Reading game, I thought we were excellent and probably dominated the game from start to finish, but being away from home is a little bit different,” he said.
“If we’re on top, we have to recognise we’re on top and keep going with that, and we didn’t. There’s clear lessons we can take from that and hopefully take them into [the game].”
This afternoon’s contest also carries an added subplot on the touchline, with Wilshere full of admiration for Plymouth head coach Tom Cleverley, a former England team-mate and contemporary beginning his own managerial journey.
“He’s someone I’ve got a lot of respect for,” Wilshere said, adding: “He probably had bigger expectations than where they’re at the moment, but he’s gone through that, learned how to deal with that adversity, and they seem like they’re coming out the other side.
“He’s thrown himself into it at a young age and I think he’s done really well. Two young coaches starting their journey, you share your experiences and how you’re feeling, but we want to beat them.”
Wilshere also warned of Plymouth’s attacking threat, despite their league position in 14th place, six points behind the Hatters in seventh.
“They’re a team that are dangerous. You can see they’ve got a really good front line. Of course, [Lorent] Tolaj is the main one, but he’s not the only threat they have. They’ve got a lot of threat on the last line.”
With both sides chasing consistency at a key point in the season, Wilshere is clear that Luton’s focus must be on translating home form into away resilience.
“Our last away win was Stockport, so we have to improve that,” he said.
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