Jones not placing any extra significance on February fixtures

Luton chief Graeme Jones isn’t placing any extra importance on the remainder of February, despite the month potentially having a huge bearing on whether the Hatters will stay up this season.

Town, currently bottom of the Championship, seven points from safety, face six games in the next 22 days.

Crucially, four of them are at home, as after Luton host Cardiff City this afternoon, they then entertain Sheffield Wednesday, before trips to Middlesbrough and Charlton.

Hatters are then back at Kenilworth Road to finish the month, with Brentford and Stoke City visiting.

Town’s recent home form has kept their head above water, with three wins, one draw and two defeats from six.

That run is in stark contrast to their away troubles, which has seen them lose all six, in a run of 12 straight defeats on the road.

However, when asked if February had added importance to it, Jones said: “Honestly, I don’t know what other managers say, but I really don’t look at it like that.

"It’s just the next game, lets see if we can get a win and then go to the next one.

"I know we’ve got six games left in February, I know it’s two, three game weeks, I see it as the opposite, as it’s a real opportunity to pick up points quickly.

"One good week can change where we are, I said that to the players last Monday.

"I believe we can do that, but we need to find out with actions.

"We’re in a good place, everybody's fit, physically we are really churning out performances, so for me it’s Cardiff and then after Cardiff I'm looking at Sheff Wed.

"I have looked at the three teams this week, I've watched all three, so I've got a good idea of what's coming.

"I've got a bit of a plan, but in football it changes, the biggest quality in football is to be adaptable and be flexible, so that wont change in the next seven or eight days.

"There’s no different message, we need to win football matches and accumulate points, I’ve just got more players now to do that.

"I’d rather be optimistic and look ahead, it’s only two games ago we won a really, really important game at Kenilworth Road.

"So we’re hoping to use that energy and those dynamics and do it again."

Up against Town this afternoon is a Cardiff side sitting mid-table after drawing six of their last 10 league outings.

They were involved in a lengthy FA Cup tie on Tuesday night, held 3-3 by Reading after 120 minutes of football, losing the penalty shoot-out 4-1.

However, Jones didn't expect that to have any effect on today's encounter, adding: "I can’t see too many who played on Tuesday, maybe two or three, who’ll have to go again on Saturday.

"Any game like that, of that magnitude and length of time, will have an emotional affect, but physically you’ve got four nights sleep, you should be able to recover.

"They were very clever in moving their previous fixture to a Friday night (1-1 draw with Reading in the league), I don’t know how that came about.

"Maybe the two teams agreed that so they had an extra day in terms of Friday, Tuesday, but normally if you play every four days you’re fine."