Luton chairman insists Town's board won't make any 'kneejerk decisions' despite poor start

Luton chairman David Wilkinson has insisted that the club’s board won’t be making any ‘kneejerk decisions’ despite the Hatters’ disappointing start to the Championship campaign.

Town’s 2-2 draw with Oxford United on Tuesday night means they have taken just eight points from their opening eight games of the season, a far lower return that had been anticipated when the fixtures were released over the summer, especially given the squad that Luton have in place after relegation from the Premier League last term.

An opening day defeat to Burnley was stomached due to the Hatters still having players out with injuries, but since the majority have returned, while Town splashed out a club record fee on centre half Mark McGuinness during the transfer window, they are yet to show any major signs of improvement. Luton did win back-to-back matches when beating Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday recently, but losses to Preston North End, QPR and Plymouth Argyle all currently in the bottom half of the table, have been hugely disappointing.

It has led to certain sections of Town’s supporters questioning manager Rob Edwards for the first time in his tenure, after a run of what is now just three wins from 27 matches in all competitions, a sequence that started in the top flight last term and has carried on to this season. However, writing in his programme notes ahead of Tuesday night’s match with the U’s, and before a spell of fixtures in which Luton play Sheffield United, Watford, Sunderland, Coventry and West Bromwich Albion, Wilkinson said: "I think we all know we are better than we are showing so far this season, and I believe it will come.

"However, we all need to stick together to support Rob, the coaches and the squad to pick up the form and generate the excitement that we are used to and expect. It is no surprise that we have suffered a bit of hangover from last season when we often played very well without a positive result and lost the winning habit. Momentum is so important both in games and in sequences of results.

"There are 117 points still to play for so let’s play our part in getting as many of them as we can and remember that form is temporary while class is permanent. We have quality people operating throughout the club, who, I’m sure, expect us to remain confident in their abilities to turn things round. We would not be where we are today by making kneejerk decisions. This has been the unsuccessful philosophy of others, who shall remain nameless.”