Edwards urges Town fans to back Adebayo as he reveals Luton striker will start against Oxford

Luton boss Rob Edwards has confirmed that striker Elijah Adebayo will definitely start against Oxford United tomorrow night after launching a passionate defence of the forward’s efforts for the Hatters this season, urging supporters to get behind the popular attacker at Kenilworth Road.

Having reached double figures in the Premier League last term, the ex-Fulham youngster was expected to blow the majority of Championship defences away after the Hatters got relegated, but it just hasn’t happened so far. Friday night’s trip to Plymouth Argyle saw the striker’s barren run stretch to eight games in all competitions this season, his last goal coming during a 1-1 top flight draw with Everton back in May, making it 10 appearances without finding the net now.

At Home Park, he had five shots on goal, but only one that tested keeper Dan Grimshaw, as he put his best, a header from Reece Burke’s terrific cross into the stands. The striker appeared to be lacking in confidence during his 75 minutes on the field, never quite going at the Pilgrims defence in the manner that Luton fans have become accustomed to in his 149 previous appearances for the club, often being too hesitant before shooting, as he couldn’t add to his haul of 42 goals.

Questioned about his belief, or lack of it, during this afternoon’s press conference, Edwards said: “I think there’s always a chance that that can happen if you’re a striker and you’ve not scored for a number of games, but he’s working so hard for the team, he’s doing so much good for us. I’ll say it now, Eli’s playing tomorrow and everyone needs to back Eli because he’s a massive player for us.

“This is someone who scored a hat-trick in the Premier League last year. This is someone who is horrible to play against when he’s at his best, and he has been this year. He’s getting into great areas and the goals will come. As long he continues getting into the right areas, the goals will come. I want us to encourage him, I want us to get behind him, as that’s what we need to do at the moment.

"He’s been a huge player for us and this football club for a long, long time and a big part of our success and I want us to make some noise for him tomorrow as it wasn’t that long ago that he was an absolute hero. Just because you’ve missed a few chances, we need to make sure we get behind him and the goals will come for Eli, I’ve got no doubt about it.”

Adebayo hasn’t been without his chances this season, denied at Portsmouth by a terrific save from home keeper Will Norris, while he was clean through only to see QPR stopper Paul Nardi repel his effort earlier this month too. He has had the fifth highest number of shots in the Championship, with 20, although only eight of them on target, sitting between Norwich's Borja Sainz who has netted six from 21 attempts and Josh Maja, with seven from 19 for West Bromwich Albion.

Those kinds of numbers gave Edwards the belief it will come good too, as he continued: “That’s the secret with a striker, everyone can miss chances, the best in the world can miss chances, but they continue to get there and then they’ll go in. That’s all he’s got to keep doing at the moment, work incredibly hard like he is, keep getting in the right areas which he is and the goals will come.

"Then try and make good decisions and the right decisions as well. Just because a goal hasn’t come doesn’t make you need to do anything different, try harder, or take an extra touch. Those are the bits we just need to continue to stress to him, he has our full confidence and backing.”

Adebayo went through a similar spell last term, as after scoring against Burnley in the league, he missed a glorious chance in the 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, as he only managed to find the net twice in 16 matches. It led to a spell on the bench, but when he came back in, was virtually unplayable at times, netting against Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, with a treble in the 4-0 victory over Brighton as well, making it eight goals in eight Premier League clashes, as he caused havoc to a number of international defenders.

With that in mind, Edwards said: “We know what he can do don’t we? This guy has given us some of the best moments we’ve had in recent memory and recent history for this club. How good did he do with the assist for Clicker’s goal at Wembley? A hat-trick in the Premier League, some big and really important goals in the Premier League last year, as well as everything else that he does for us.

"The work-rate that he puts in for the team, his selflessness, so let’s not worry about him and make too big a thing of it either. The goals will come because there’s absolutely no doubt about that. It wasn’t long ago, it was at an extremely high level, so it’s there for him and again, it’s a little bit like the results. I’d be concerned if I was seeing him not trying or getting extremely frustrated. He’ll be disappointed that he’s not scored a goal, but he’s doing so much good still.

"He’s working incredibly hard for the team and we’ve got to keep with that as a bare minimum, but he’s given us that in abundance and he’s getting into the right areas constantly as well. If you look at the actual whole league in general he’s right up there for chances, shots, being in the right areas. If he continues to do that, there’s only one way he can go.”

Asked if he has had to put a shoulder around the forward in the build-up to tomorrow night’s contest, Edwards said: “In a nutshell yes. Players are human beings, it’s not all negatives, I know strikers are judged off goals, but there is so much more to their game and in particular Eli’s game as well. It is reminding him how good he is, what he can do as well, and what he is doing very well and that will turn. It happens for all goalscorers at some stage in their career, once he gets one, I’m sure then he’ll go on a really good run.

“Eli, of course he believes in himself, all players do, but all players are human beings as well. We’re never at our peak and our pinnacle, feeling at our best all the time, but we’ve stressed how important he is to us and how much we believe in him. I know he’ll go and repay that and we just need to make sure everyone’s on the same page with that.”

Although Adebayo could be asked to lead the line by himself again tomorrow in the expected absence of Carlton Morris, Edwards believes the duo can form a partnership to ensure Town are a deadly force at this level once more, adding: “One hundred percent, of course there is. We know that, it’s been successful for us before at that level and it can be again, no doubt about it.

"The good thing is we’ve got others who are always pushing and knocking at the door, but the bare minimum is to be able to run and run really hard for us. They do that extremely well, but there’s definitely, definitely an opportunity for the partnership, of course there is.”