Luton skipper insists the 'chemistry' between players and fans is back at Kenilworth Road

Luton skipper Kal Naismith insists the ‘chemistry' between Town’s players and supporters is now firmly back despite the club just missing out on the play-offs last season.​

The Hatters had endured a difficult campaign for the majority, as a poor start saw Matt Bloomfield relieved of his duties in October, with Jack Wilshere swiftly taking over. Despite a good run of results over the festive period, a sequence of six matches without a win saw the relationship strained further, Town’s players jeered off after failing to beat the likes of Wigan Athletic, Port Vale and Burton Albion, and particularly when gifting Reading victory after being 2-1 up going into the final 10 minutes.

However, a 2-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers began to arrest the slump, as Luton went on to win nine from their last 11 matches, including a last-day 3-2 success at Bolton Wanderers, also lifting the Vertu Trophy as well. Although they missed out on the top six by a single point due to Stevenage’s controversial victory over Stockport County, Town’s players and management still received a magnificent and prolonged ovation from their 3,000 travelling fans following the final whistle at the Toughsheet Stadium.

Asked about the connection appearing to return, Naismith, who himself suffered a fair amount of personal criticism throughout the season, said: “They were always on board, I’ve always said that about the Luton fans, they’ve never gone anywhere. But honestly, that chemistry wasn’t there that a Luton fanbase and a Luton team have. You see now, I think they adore the players, we adore them and that’s the way it is at this club, that’s the way it’s always been. So to mend that, I’m proud of everyone as no-one’s been more consistent than us in this run-in.”

Naismith also stated that he didn’t think any other team could have hit back from such a sorry state of affairs in the manner that the Hatters did, which makes their attempts to reach the play-off places even more impressive, continuing: “No-one, no-one could have come through what we came through as a team, no-one and I stand by that, not any teams at the top. We were down and out. It was dark, dark days, but we stuck together and we came through that.

"The fact that we’ve turned around the feeling in the club, the feeling in the fans, that was something that makes me so proud as I’ve said it since the start of the season, this club’s nothing without the fans. To see them back, proud of the team, that makes me proud. I’m just really excited already next season to come back and hit the ground running and be more consistent.”

In Naismith’s mind, the fact that Town were able to bounce back when all looked lost, was very much down to the methods that Wilshere has instilled at the Brache, sticking to them even when things weren’t going quite the way he wanted from the start, as he added: “How the gaffer’s done it, it’s never been this big goal at the end to get promoted. It’s day by day, you need to bring the best version of yourself and train a little bit better, improve and it’s all about that process and in that process you get results, that’s the way he works.

“Straight away, straight from the off, the results weren't there, but never did he change. It was one percent better every day and you see the way we’ve gone now, so I’m just excited to come back. Us as players, we know exactly the demands the staff want. We know we need to turn up and work and get better every day. We see the results are there if we do it, so just go away, bury my head for a few weeks and then you don’t feel sorry for yourself, you get up, and we’ll get ready to go again.”