‘God knows’ – Hatters chief has no idea how Town will line up against Baggies.
Doughty and Holmes suspended on Friday night
Luton boss Rob Edwards admitted he has no idea just how he will set his team up defensively when they host West Bromwich Albion at Kenilworth Road on Friday night.
Town are already expected to be without the quintet of Amari’i Bell, Teden Mengi, Reece Burke, Mads Andersen and Reuell Walters for the contest, with their options now even more limited due to Tom Holmes and Alfie Doughty being suspended following Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Coventry City. Speaking at the CBS Arena, asked just what his options could be, Edwards said: “God knows what we’ll do on Friday now. I’ll be surprised (if any of the injured players are back), we’ll see.”
Although there could be few complaints over Holmes’ red card, the defender dismissed for a second booking when tugging on the shirt of Haji Wright in stoppage time, Edwards was far from happy with Doughty’s first half caution. The wingback saw yellow from referee Bobby Madley, who had a poor game throughout, for taking a free kick too early, and with it being his fifth of the season, now has to sit out the next match.
Edwards continued: “I’m emotional and angry. I don’t want to say anything and I felt like we didn’t really get anything, even the fifty-fifty decisions. I just thought it was a strange decision that he’s booked him for that, trying to play quickly, but that’s the letter of the law. He’s picked up four before that and now we’re going to miss him as well as Holmesy.”
With Town’s defeat now their seventh of the season already, from a mere 12 games, just one less than they managed when winning the play-offs back in 2023, it means they are now in the relegation zone, with only Portsmouth and QPR below them. Asked if he felt the Hatters were in a false position, Edwards added: “I hope we are. It’s a difficult one to say and for me to answer when I’m feeling like this and we’ve just lost another game.
“So I hope we are, I believe in the group of players and they’ve shown in the past, a lot of them are still here who got promoted out of this league. I believe in them, but ultimately we’ve got to show it. It’s two good performances but ultimately one win and two defeats. Today the manner of it, being in a good position, but like I say, I own it. There’ll be frustration and questions asked, it’s no-one else’s fault, it’s me.”
