Bloomfield wants to give Hatters fans the ‘bragging rights’ against Hornets..
Town boss knows full well the importance of derby day clash
Luton boss Matt Bloomfield is desperate for the Hatters to end their terrible away form at Vicarage Road on Sunday afternoon and give their supporters the ‘bragging rights’ against sworn enemies Watford.
Town will make the short trip to Hertfordshire as they look for a first win on their travels since September of last year, over five months ago, when beating Millwall 1-0 at The Den. Luton have played 14 matches outside of Bedfordshire after that, picking up just one meagre point, meaning there would be no better place to secure another precious three, at a venue in which the Hatters haven’t tasted success in the league since they triumphed 4-2 in September 1994, Scott Oakes, Kerry Dixon and Paul Telfer (2) on target in a new Division One clash.
Bloomfield said: “I’m really looking forward to the game, really looking forward to being involved in the occasion. It’s really exciting and we want to go there and continue the two performances we’ve had this week so far (against Sheffield United and Plymouth Argyle). I don’t think you really understand how fierce a derby is until you’re actually involved in it and when you’re actually in a football club. You can see from the outside of any derby but you feel it a lot more when you’re in it.
“I felt it this week, I understand what it stands for, for our supporters, and we would absolutely love to give them the bragging rights. We’ve got to approach it like a balanced game as we need to perform. We can’t be too emotional in the moment, we have to make sure that we’re calm and we perform to the levels that I think we have done the last two games and we believe that we can.
“It’s about understanding the situation, understanding what it means and what it stands for for our supporters and doing everything we possibly can. I know it’s a long time since we’ve won there, and even longer in the league, but we’re doing everything we can to give our supporters something to cheer on Sunday. I think emotion will be at the forefront of everybody. I’m sure it will be an intense atmosphere, an intense game and for us, we want to win on the road.
“We want to score some goals, we want to play on the front foot we want to impose ourselves on the game and we have to make sure we do that. The boys have been calm though. There’s no point being up two days before a game, it’s about being ready to go on Sunday but of course you notice that everyone’s been ready to go. The boys have been great since the minute we got through the door, they’ve been all-in in what we’re trying to do and all the meetings. The morning was no different, we debriefed Wednesday evening and we’ve started prepping for Sunday, so they’ve been great.”
