Kingsley Black: Both Luton and Forest will view Saturday's clash at Kenilworth Road as real opportunity

The Hatters go into the contest on the back of two defeats, losing at 3-2 Fulham and 2-1 to Birmingham City.

It’s the same for Forest as well, as although their fixture with Reading was called off on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch, they were beaten at home by Hull City and at Wigan in their last two outings.

It has seen the Reds drop to 10th in the table, with Luton just two points above the relegation zone now, with Black saying: “I’m sure from Forest’s point of view, they’re going to be looking at this as an opportunity, as indeed Luton are.

“Both have lost the last two games and then sometimes you get a little bit like, ‘we need to get a result here, or certainly not lose.’

“Both teams will view it as an opportunity, so you might see a fairly open game, both teams going for it.

“I’d going to stick my neck out and say 2-1 to Luton and be hopeful of that.”

Cheered on by another sell-out at Kenilworth Road will certainly help as well, something that Black knows all about having played 156 games for Town between 1986-91, scoring 31 goals.

He said: The home crowd has always been excellent to get behind the side and it’s important to start well, get the crowd behind you and just go for it a little bit, within reason.

"You don’t want to be too cavalier, but on the front foot and looking to play forward and create things.

"The Luton crowd have always thrived on that, so it lifts them and then they lift you really, it can work massively in our favour when the crowd get behind you."

The Hatters have already scored 21 goals in the Championship, the sixth highest in the league and with Town expected to be up against it this term, Black believes that will be vital as the campaign progresses.

The homegrown player, who was part of the side that won the Littlewoods Cup back in 1988, said: “When I’ve seen Luton they are always playing attacking football and if you look at the goals they’ve scored, it’s comparable to the best teams in that division.

“I know it’s all relative to goals conceded, but we’re an attacking team that likes to go for it, so hopefully over the course of the season, that will stand us in good stead.

“It will be a season of consolidation, but we just want to make sure that we’re there and can build for next season going forward.

“The fact that we can score, that might be the thing that just gets them there this season, into a certain position.

“(James) Collins is doing well isn’t he, some of the new signings are pretty good too and we’ve got good creative players, as that’s how we’re scoring goals.

"The fact that we can actually put the ball in the back of the net is great, we just need to tighten up really in other areas.”

Black left Kenilworth Road for the City Ground in 1991 for fee of £1.5m and went on to play more than 100 times for Forest.

Although he always keeps an eye on how the Reds are getting on, his heart is still very much with Luton, and he thinks Graeme Jones’ side has made an impressive start to life back in the second tier.

He said: “I look at the result and see how they’re (Forest) doing as I was there for five years.

“However as a Luton Town supporter that’s different, I support them and played for them as that’s my home town.

“They’ve done very well, because of the real jump to go into the Championship and that’s where the big money starts.

"The competition will have a bigger budget than Luton by a considerable amount I would dare say, and you’re trying to compete at a level against those teams every week, who have got more money to spend.

“So I think Luton are doing really well, obviously we want them to be a bit higher than they are now.

“But you’re playing against super players, so that’s not a criticism, it’s a step up.

“As a supporter and anyone whose looking, you’re up against real good quality players, who are earning a lot more money and Luton are competing with them.

“They might get narrowly beaten, but over the course of the season the fact that we’re playing good football and are able to put the ball in the net will stand us in massively good stead.”

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