On Tuesday we face an old foe in Luton Town. Due to financial difficulties, sliding down the leagues and during their slide a 10 point deduction in the 07/08 season, and a gargantuan 30 point deduction the next; 20 for leaving administration without a CVA and 10 for illegal payments to agents, which left them in the non league game in 2009. They were finally promoted back to League 2 in 2014 after getting 101 points, 19 clear of Cambridge United and 91 clear of bottom-of-the-league Hyde. They then achieved mid table finishes for the next 3 seasons prior to promotion in 2018. They then went and won League 1 the next season, going 28 games unbeaten in the process, breaking a record, most games unbeaten for a newly promoted side since Liverpool in the 1890’s. They sit 23rd in the league, albeit 2 points from safety.
They have severely struggled so far this season, leaking more goals than anyone else in the league and have the worst goal difference in -30. However, under N. Jones’ watch, they have improved, picking up some vital points since the restart. Under Graeme Jones, however, they looked off the pace, and regularly traded 24th place with Barnsley. Going into Tuesday’s match, however, a win, coupled with defeat for Barnsley and Charlton, could propel them out of the relegation zone altogether, having fallen into the relegation zone after an enthralling 3-3 draw at home to Fulham.
The player to watch for Luton is James Collins, who has scored a dozen goals so far this season.
I do think that Luton will line up like this: Sluga; Bree, Carter-Vickers, Bradley, Potts; Ruddock-Mpanzu, Shinnie, Berry, Lee; Collins, Cornick.
I think the R’s will line up like this: Lumley; Rangel, Kakay, Masterson, Manning; Amos, Cameron, Eze, Osayi-Samuel, Chair, Ramkilde.
Getting a result tomorrow is imperative. I don’t think that we’ll roll over and die like we did on Saturday, and I think Luton will be up for it. We need one more win and we mathematically have nothing to play for.
Come on you R’s!