Lee could play a more advanced role for the Hatters

Midfielder Olly Lee could be utilised in a more advanced role for the Hatters this season.
Olly Lee scores against Boreham WoodOlly Lee scores against Boreham Wood
Olly Lee scores against Boreham Wood

With the addition of Alan McCormack to add some real steel to Luton’s engine room and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu flourishing in a more defensive role last term too, the 26-year-old has been pushed further forward during Town’s pre-season campaign.

He responded with a well-taken goal against Boreham Wood, nodding home Jack Stacey’s cross from close range and was only denied another by a superb fingertip stop from home keeper Grant Smith.

Manager Nathan Jones said: “He’s been excellent in pre-season he really has, the way he fits into our system.

“We’ve played him a little bit higher up than he’s usually played and he’s been involved in a lot of the goals we’ve scored in pre-season.

“It was a great ball in, well timed run, and a great finish.

“We’ve done it all pre-season and played him in the play-offs last year in an advanced role, so Olly can do that.

“He’s a wonderful footballer, he’s come back, he’s in very, very good shape physically, so I know what Olly can do.

“I played him in a 10 role at Exeter away last year, he’s a wonderful footballer. He’s one of our best footballers, in terms of handling the ball and so on, he’s in a good place.”

With fellow midfielder Mpanzu also netting, then Jones knows it is important not just to rely on the strikers this season, particularly with Cameron McGeehan, a regular on the scoresheet, having left the club.

He added: “We work on that, we like our strikers to score, they have scored in pre-season, that’s pleasing, but we need goals from all angles.

“We need to improve on what we did. The old Sky team and David Brailsford, the 100 things, one per cent better, so we’re trying to do that thing, so that we finish higher than we did last year.

“If we finish higher than we did last year, then we’ve achieved our goal.

Related topics: