Ex-Liverpool and England defender tips Luton boss to be 'in demand' this summer

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher believes that Luton chief Rob Edwards will be a sought after manager in the summer whatever happens at Kenilworth Road this season.

Since being appointed in November 2021, the ex-Forest Green and Watford boss has done a simply outstanding job in Bedfordshire, leading the Hatters to the top flight via a play-off final win over Coventry City at Wembley. Like the Hatters’ players, Edwards has gone on to adapt well to his first season in charge of a Premier League club, impressive in all aspects of his work, particularly with the media.

Tactically astute too, the former Welsh international quickly abandoned the formation that saw Luton have so much joy when getting to this level, stating recently he would ‘cringe’ if he was to re-watch the first few games of the season. Settling on a different tactical set-up which attempted to make Town far harder to beat to begin with, recently becoming more fluid in possession as well, has seen the Hatters give themselves a massive chance of staying up this season, after being written off by most, if not all, back in the summer.

Recently climbing out of the drop zone with three wins from six games, and just the one defeat, although they could be back below the dotted line once this weekend’s round of fixtures are complete, following a 3-1 reverse on home soil by Sheffield United last weekend, whatever happens, Town are still very much in the mix now to remain in the Premier League.

It was seen the players and in particular the manager earn a huge number of plaudits from those outside Kenilworth Road, as writing in the Telegraph this week, Carragher believes there could be a number of suitors for Edwards once this campaign is done and dusted, saying: “Forget Manchester City’s bid for four in a row or a successive treble. Brush aside the farewell of Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple. Discount Arsenal’s title charge, the reawakening of Spurs and Aston Villa, and the impending Sir Jim Ratcliffe revolution at Manchester United. Luton Town staying in the Premier League would be the most uplifting story of the season. They are the club which is giving every supporter in the country hope.

“Whatever happens between now and May, Rob Edwards has enhanced his reputation and is a contender for manager of the year. Luton may yet spend only one year in the top division, but that is highly unlikely to be the case for their coach. Edwards will be in demand. Many will not be persuaded by such romanticism. They might counter-argue that the only reason Luton are genuine contenders to avoid relegation is because of Everton’s 10 point deduction and the threat of a similar punishment looming over Nottingham Forest.

“That does not diminish the overall quality of Luton’s performances, nor that they are only four points behind Crystal Palace and five behind Brentford with a game in hand. Regardless of Everton and Forest’s situation, Luton would still have cause to believe in their survival prospects given the form of those just above.

"Burnley host Arsenal this weekend, while Luton welcome Manchester United. It would not be the biggest surprise if Luton took a point or won. Anything but a comfortable Arsenal win at Turf Moor would be one of the shocks of this season. That stark shift in expectation is testimony to the work Edwards has done.”

Carragher admitted he was one of many who thought that the three teams who came up from the second tier, Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United, would all go straight back down to where they came from again. However, the work Edwards has done has led to a change in that opinion, as the defender who won the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup during his lengthy stint at Anfield, believes Town are out-performing both of the other two promoted sides, especially the title-winning Clarets.

He added: “When this season started, my damning view of the top flight was that it consisted of 17 Premier League clubs and three Championship teams. There was a genuine fear that the bottom three would highlight a catastrophic, expanding gulf between the top and second tier. It was a struggle to see how they would each win 25 points. Given how long it took for Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United to get their first win, those concerns proved justified.

“Operating at a lower level brings its own challenges, but the Premier League represents a massive step up. This time last year, if the question was asked which of the promotion-chasing managers was most likely to thrive at the higher level and attract the attention of rival clubs, the overwhelming choice would be Burnley’s Vincent Kompany.

“Burnley collected a whopping 101 points to finish top of the Championship, 21 more than Luton who were third. They also spent £92 million last summer, making 15 signings. Luton spent just £20 million, and have also had to deal with the trauma suffered by their inspirational captain Tom Lockyer. Edwards and Kompany have gone about trying to beat the odds to stay in the top tier in contrasting ways. The Luton manager has proven to be the quicker learner.

“No matter what the preferred playing style, the spine of a team must be equipped to deal with the athleticism of the top players. That applies from top to bottom. Look at Manchester City. There is no-one in world football playing a purer passing game, but their starting line-up is packed with as much height and strength as it is technique with Erling Haaland, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker.

“Edwards has recognised and applied this more than Pep Guardiola’s student Kompany. Luton were astute to pick up experienced players like Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend on a free transfer, recognising how essential their experience and understanding of the Premier League is. Luton Town began the season looking like they might be an embarrassment to the Championship they came from. Instead, they have been a credit to their manager and English football.”