Hatters boss with a message to Town fans ahead of Blackpool clash

Luton boss Rob Edwards has called on Town’s fans to understand that today’s opponents Blackpool will be no pushover despite their precarious predicament near the foot of the table.

The Tangerines have struggled during the second half of the campaign, picking up just two league wins since November, as they sit second bottom in the Championship, and are now seven points from safety with six games to go.

They will be led at Kenilworth Road by Senior Professional Development Lead Phase Coach Stephen Dobbie, after manager Mick McCarthy left Bloomfield Road following a 3-1 home defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday, his ninth loss in 14 matches since taking over.

With Luton having completely different ambitions this term, a victory pushing them ever close to securing a top six berth, Edwards knows those in attendance will be turning up confident of a home win, but warned: “We're back in front of our fans which will be great.

"We’ve got to recover really, really well and then go again and show a lot of the same qualities (from the 0-0 draw at Millwall), but hopefully we can have a bit more of an attacking threat as well, that’s as a team.

“The Championship as we all know is really, really hard.

"Blackpool made a change and you're picking up on a team then at the time who are in a difficult spot, and you can get in a run losing and winning.

"It’s really tough but you can see with results over the last couple of weeks, it doesn't really matter where you are in the table, anything can happen.

"We’ve got to make sure we’re at it and I need the fans to understand that as well.

“As yes, they’ll be a bit of expectancy on us because of where we are in the table, but we need their voices.

"We need them at it all the way through as Blackpool are fighting for their lives, so it’s a really important message that one.”

Following on from a home game against Watford that saw a red-hot atmosphere from the word go, Edwards knows it will be tough to recreate such an environment, but hopes Town supporters will give it their best shot.

He continued: “I understand that will be more difficult for our supporters as I know how much last week meant to everybody, but lets enjoy this moment that we’re in.

"We’re in a fantastic spot, a great run of form.

“The lads are at it, they're running for their football club, so let's bring a really good atmosphere again on Monday.”

Although the Hatters were unchanged on Good Friday, Edwards' sticking with the same players that defeated the Hornets, only making one substitution in the closing stages, he isn’t expecting to rotate any players for the contest, saying: “We’ll have a look at it, see how everyone is, see what the game requires as well.

"There’s not going to be loads of changes because we’re in a rhythm, in a flow, and the group get that.

"Everyone’s together and fighting really hard, whether that’s at the training ground or you can see that out on the pitch, so we’re in a good place.”

For the boss, it is a clash against one of his former sides too, the ex-Welsh international making 68 appearances for the Tangerines between August 2008 and July 2011.

He added: “It will be nice to see one or two people.

"It’s an old club, a long, long time ago now, but I have got some really fond memories from there.

"For us it’s just concentrating on what we’re doing and we’ll try to attack the game and look to try and win it.

"It will be another tough game and all the games are now as so many teams that are fighting for something, at either end of the table.”