Hatters boss denies losing patience with his side

Hatters boss Nathan Jones denied he has lost patience with any of his players after Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Newport County.
Hatters boss Nathan JonesHatters boss Nathan Jones
Hatters boss Nathan Jones

The Luton chief had been highly critical of his side in his post match interview, after they were held to a 14th draw of the season, making it four games without a victory at just the wrong time of the campaign.

Jones said: “We were naive, really naive and that’s the disappointing thing as we’re not learning and that’s frustrating.

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“We’ve had enough opportunities, we broke away and we’re not picking out the right pass, the frustrating thing is we show them and it seems like they didn’t listen.”

However, when asked if the performance had seen his tolerance of the squad start to wane at all, Jones, speaking in his Thursday press conference, said: “No, they’re a great group, they’re a young group as well.

“They need guidance, you look at Portsmouth for example and they’re experienced all the way through.

“They have an average age of about 29, ours is about 23, so we’re a young group, an evolving group.

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“We play a certain way, we demand from them, they’re learning.

“We have some wonderful players here, we really do, real good players to work with and all they need is guidance.

“Yes, sometimes I get frustrated, but they’re a great group to work with. Being manager of this football club it’s wonderful to come in every day and see their attitude, their workrate, their desire to do well.

“They just need a bit of guidance and sometimes you look for experienced ones and then they need me as well. So I’ll be there for them and it’s going to be an exciting end to the season and this is what we want.

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“Who knows what could happen? Everyone’s got to get on side, it’s not a negative thing.

“Yes we’ve missed opportunities recently in the four game block. We’ve only lost one, but we’ve only taken three points. I would have preferred to lose two win two, maybe that would mean form wouldn’t have been as good in terms of performance wise, but we need points, that’s all it is.

“So now we’re going to get back to that.”

On just how he can stop the naivety creeping into this afternoon’s performance at Colchester United, particularly when it comes to not gifting their hosts the amount of free kicks they had in Wales during the week, Jones added: “You kind of look for players to lead that kind of thing. We were trying to get a message over, but one, I couldn’t shout loud enough, two the wind was up and we were giving too many free kicks away.

“It’s a difficult place, and we’re a competitive group, we want to compete. But when the ball is being kicked 50 feet in the air and it’s coming down with a wind and swirling and we’re challenging, it’s difficult not to give free kicks away.

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“We’re trying to win our battles, but things happen, and then with the wind and how they are, they put it in your box, you have to defend it.

“It’s difficult for us to have any kind of flow to the game on Tuesday night, so there’s an element as you’re trying not to give free kicks away, but they’re an honest group.

“They don’t do it because they’re just petulant as they want to win stuff and they want to win the ball. So it’s difficult, but we have to try and cut that out as it gives teams opportunity, one to stop our flow, two, to put the ball in our box and make us defend.”