Edwards unconcerned about the pressure on former Norwich team-mate Martin ahead of Swans clash

Town boss Rob Edwards isn’t worried about what kind of pressure his former Norwich City team-mate Russell Martin is under going into this afternoon’s clash at Kenilworth Road.

The former MK Dons chief has seen his side plummet down the table in recent months, as after sitting fourth following a 2-0 win over fiercest rivals Cardiff in October, have won just three of their next 18 Championship encounters,

It has seen them plummet down the table to 16th and led to the Swans players and management being booed during and after their 1-1 draw against Rotherham in midweek.

When asked if Luton could use the travelling fans' potential dissent towards their side in their favour during the game, Edwards said: “I won't comment at all on where they are in the table.

“They have got a real clear identity. Russell's really strong on how his team plays and fully believes in it.

“Obviously that was a big part of his remit when he was recruited.

“That's how he plays and him and his coaching staff are really good at it.

“He can deliver on that, so in terms of how they coach and how they play, I can only speak very, very highly of them.

“What we’ll try and do is look after what we can control.

"All I know is at the moment for us is there’s a real feelgood factor at our ground, at Kenilworth Road, and every game our fans have been fantastic and are right behind our players.

“If we play with that intensity our fans will make it a really difficult place to come for any other team, and they’ll certainly spur our players on.

"Even at 2-0 down the other night, they’re right with us and right behind us and it helps so much, it really does, I can’t tell you how much that helps.

"If we get our bit right and we get our intensity right and we get our performance right then I don’t really care what other fans do or the opposition players, it’s about us and what we can control and the atmosphere we can create, especially at home.

"So I’m looking forward to our players starting in a real positive way and getting our fans going.”

Edwards had fleeting dalliance with Martin during their time at Carrow Road earlier in their careers.

The Luton boss moved to the Canaries on loan from Blackpool in February 2011, playing a minor role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League, with three substitute outings.

Martin, meanwhile, was carving out a lengthy stay for himself at Norwich, remaining in East Anglia for almost a decade, going on to feature in the top flight, as the Town chief continued: “I was someone who just floated into his vicinity for a little while.

"He was a real top servant for that football club and grew and ended up being captain and did great for the club.

"I came in for about three months and rode on the back of their success and was part of a little bit of a promotion there.

"It was a great time and I really enjoyed getting to know Russ as well.

"I’ve got a lot of time for him as well, really good player, really good man and I love what he’s about as a manager or head coach, whatever his title is there.

"He’s got really strong beliefs, real clear identity and clearly a very talented coach.

“They've got such a clear identity and a clear way of playing, which to me, as a coach, suggests that they know what they're doing.

"They know how they play, they train it and then they commit to how they play.

"We’ll obviously try to find the answers to cause problems for them and in the main, we've done that very well when we've come up against teams that do like to control the game, especially at our place.

“So we're under no illusions, it's going to be another really difficult game again and as every Championship game is.

"But they do cause you real different kinds of threats to a lot of other teams because of the way they play.

"So, I'm looking forward to it. It’ll be a good tactical one.”

The Swans do also possess one of the real goal threats in the second tier, in the shape of Dutch striker Joel Piroe who has 12 league goals to his name this season and scored against the Hatters at Kenilworth Road last term.

Coming into the contest with a goal against Rotherham on Tuesday evening, Edwards added: “It was a good finish the other night as well.

“It’s not just the goals that he gives, it can be his all-round game, his intelligence.

"Whether it’s starting off a press, whatever it might be, he’ll be a handful.

"You look at every team that we’re playing and they’ve all got certain individuals that are really good players and can probably play for most teams in the league.

"Every team’s got one or two of them and he’s certainly an outstanding player for them.”