Luton Town’s Viability in the Premier League
Can Luton Town Overcome the Odds? Assessing Their Premier League Survival Chances
It is no surprise that Luton are struggling in the Premier League currently. It’s definitely not due to any lack of effort but they just look out of their depth in the most famous league in the World. Unlike talks in some sections, Luton hasn’t given up in their bid to survive the drop straight away.
Why is Luton Town tipped to go down after only 4 Premier League games? Do they have what it takes to turn the tide around?
Living Within Their Means
This is by far the wisest thing Luton Town can do even if they do go down. Luton recently renovated Kenilworth Road, their home stadium, for around £10m. It was a basic requirement due to the Premier League rules.
Luton put in a new stand to meet the broadcast and media requirements. It was a necessary expense that Luton had to make to meet the Premier League standard and they did that.
Luton Town are also not owned by a multi-billionaire or a state-sponsored country so they do not have endless pit of cash to throw around. Just look at their buys in the summer transfer window.
Luton opted to sign high-quality Championship players rather than unknown foreign talent or expensive Premier League players. Luton is betting on their arrivals to step up a level and keep them in the Premier League and even if they fail, the Hatters will have a good core of high-quality championship players to go for the promotion straightaway.
Small Fish in a Big Pond
Luton and their fans probably already know that it is going to be super tough to survive the drop this season after the start they have had. Luton did not spend much on their squad as they did not want to burden their club with unnecessary debt, instead, they have shown faith in the squad that brought them to the Premier League to keep them in the Premier League.
In all honesty, Luton just does not look like a Premier League side at all – in any aspect. The Hatters would already have seen teams such as Hull City, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, and all who came up to the Premier League, spend a lot of money on unnecessary buys and then go down with a lot of debt. Some of these clubs even ended up in League One.
Luton wants to keep their finances strong and if that means that they remain a small fish in a big pond, so be it. At least Luton won’t have to worry much about their financial situation if they do drop down to the Championship. Financially, the club is in a healthy situation.
Rob Edwards at the Helm
Rob Edwards did a phenomenal job last year to get Luton promoted, especially after getting sacked by Watford early in the season. Edwards has all the backing from the Kenilworth Road’s faithful and the owner.
In the games that have been played till now, every single quality that we saw from a Rob Edwards team is still present. The fight, aggression, and competitiveness are still there. Whichever team that has faced Luton till now has had to scrap for every single ball. But Edwards can only do so much. There is a serious lack of quality in the squad and that is where Luton are losing their games.
The fact is – a change in the manager won’t do Luton any good. This fact is best known to anyone connected with Luton Town. So any pundit who thinks Edwards can be replaced and Luton will just start winning games under a new manager is frankly mistaken. It is a Rob Edwards team and even if the start has been sketchy they are not nailed on to go down just yet.
The Task Ahead
Luton Town does not need anyone to remind them of the task that lies ahead of them. Luton can always take inspiration from teams like West Bromwich Albion and Reading who survived drops with modest spending.
Also, it is way too early in the season to write off Luton Town. We haven’t even played a quarter of the season yet and pundits and fans alike have started writing obituaries for the Hatters. There is still ample time to turn the season around and kick-start their season.
Edwards, Players, and fans will know that Kenilworth Road is their best bet to survive the drop. The stadium is small but that is what makes their atmosphere even more hostile. The opposition will feel fans breathing down their necks as the noise resonates throughout the stadium. When Kenilworth Road is rocking then it is a completely hostile place to try and get a result.
Investing in Survival
Luton will also need to spend in January. Sure, we talked about Luton being fine with going down rather than spending an exuberant amount on transfers. But no one can deny that a little boost might just help Luton survive the drop. They will definitely look for more top championship players in January and if they get their signings right then who knows? Bigger miracles have happened in the past.
