Jones feels lessons have been learned after Leicester defeat

Luton boss Graeme Jones felt he could take plenty of lessons from his side’s performance despite going out of the Carabao Cup exit with a 4-0 at the hands of Leicester City this evening.
Graeme Jones greets Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers this eveningGraeme Jones greets Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers this evening
Graeme Jones greets Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers this evening

Although the Hatters were second best, and understandably so, against a Foxes side containing well over £100m of talent, the likes of Yuri Tielemans and Ayoze Perez costing £70m between them, Town deserved credit for staying in the game for the first half hour until Demarai Gray opened the scoring.

James Justin then added the second on his return just before half time, while Tielemans and Kelechi Iheacnacho added a late gloss, but Jones said: “I was really pleased with some aspects of the play.

“I think defensively first half we made it really difficult for them.

"They couldn’t play through us, then we gave a stupid set-piece away, where one of our players lost Demarai Gray, that’s disappointing, especially being in the game.

“Then their quality, Yuri Tielemans, who I know, had two seconds on the ball, and picks James Justin out, and I think James Justin just shows you what we lost here at Luton, because I thought he was outstanding tonight.

“Then we tried to stay in the game and that was always the play.

"Izzy Brown had an unbelievable chance and all of a sudden he scores and you get momentum, and that’s how you can win a cup tie.

“If we’d have gone after Leicester tonight with the players that played, you’ve seen the quality, the physicality of every single player, never mind the quality and I think we’ll take good lessons from it.

“As there’s nothing better than playing against that kind of quality and for us to adhere to play at that level, as that’s what we’re all in the game for.”

When asked if was specific defensive lessons he had garnered from the 90 minutes, Jones continued: “Yes, I don’t want to say too much.

“We knew it was going to be a tough evening, we knew it, but we got something out of it.

“Saturday I didn’t feel like that sitting here, we just look forward to Blackburn now, we’ve got to take our hats off to Leicester as they’re a different level.”

Jones had made 10 changes for the clash, with only Luke Bolton keeping his place from Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Hull City.

On why he went with the team he did, Jones added: “It was a mixture of everything, I think you go to Cardiff and you win 3-0, those boys earn the right for the next round.

“I want to progress in the competition and I wanted to progress, but it’s how you progress.

"You can progress at the expense of a physical performance at the weekend, so we obviously had to look after the lads who played at the weekend as we’ve got a big game at Blackburn coming up.

“We need to make sure we’re competitive in it, so it was a lot of thinking really going into it.

"I thought the dynamic changed when Harry (Cornick) and Izzy (Brown) came on and Kaz (LuaLula).

“They gave us a bit more physical a bit more power up there which you need to compete against the Premier League animals, so it was an interesting night.”