Hatters chief believes club could be 'richer' for experiencing chastening Bees defeat

Luton boss Graeme Jones believes the Hatters could be richer for the experience of being hammered by Brentford 7-0 last week after they bounced back at the first attempt when beating Wigan on Saturday.
Town boss Graeme Jones applauds the Luton fans after beating WiganTown boss Graeme Jones applauds the Luton fans after beating Wigan
Town boss Graeme Jones applauds the Luton fans after beating Wigan

The Hatters chief had seen his side handed their heaviest league defeat since 1966 at Griffin Park, with Town humbled by the free-scoring Bees.

However, they then showed immense powers of recovery to see off Wigan 2-1 at Kenilworth Road after going a goal down in the first half, thanks to late strikes from Callum McManaman and George Moncur.

When asked if his squad could be in a better position due to going through such a loss, Jones said: “It depends how you manage it.

“If you’re blaming everybody and you don’t have some understanding to what happened and you haven’t got honesty in your football club, it won’t help.

“If you look at it the way we looked at it as a club, supporters included, then it can galvanise you and I think that’s what it did.

We’re sitting here now from seven days ago, all we asked for was a response and we got that.

“We are richer for the experience as a club, as players, as individuals, because there are certain things you’ve got to face in life and they’re not easy.

“You’ve got to get through it and it’s the old fight or flight scenario.

“Do you stand there and face it head on and find a way? Or do you back away and make excuses?

“I think for the football club we faced it. The board of directors, they faced it, the management, they faced it, the players, more importantly, they faced it.

“You grow mentally because of it and that’s satisfying.

“We’re not out of the woods at all, in any way, shape of form, we need to be at it, every single game.

“But if we talk about the last nine days, the Championship has been a real roller-coaster ride.”

Even though attacker McManaman didn’t get on to the pitch at Brentford, he knew that Town had to show some fight in the contest against his former side on Saturday after such a display in west London.

He added: "The whole club was embarrassed after last week, everyone, even the lads who didn’t play, we were just gutted.

"It is a tough league and Brentford’s a very tough place to go, but there’s no excuses, you should never get beaten by that score.

"We knew we had to turn up this week and we did."