Wilshere highlights Town midfielder's starring role as Luton hit form
Walsh has been a stand-out performer for the Hatters in recent weeks
Luton boss Jack Wilshere has highlighted the starring role that midfielder Liam Walsh has played for the Hatters during their recent upturn in form.
The 28-year-old, who is having one of the best seasons of his career to date, has been utilised in the single deep-lying midfielder role in the last few weeks by Wilshere, which has seen Town win six out of their last seven matches, lifting the Vertu Trophy and also propelling themselves right into the mix for the League One play-offs, heading to Bolton Wanderers this weekend needing a win to try and reach the top six.
Walsh himself has been superb in that time, running the show in certain games, while the ex-Coventry City and Swansea City player has also begun to add goals to his game as well, opening his account in the 2-1 Vertu Trophy semi-final victory over Northampton Town and then drilling in the equaliser against the Cobblers during their league meeting at Kenilworth Road earlier this month too.
With the ex-Everton youngster’s passing ability dovetailing wonderfully with Kasey Palmer’s ability to drive forward from midfield, the Jamaican international having scored eight in his last 11 outings, and either Davy van den Berg or Jordan Clark often joining them in the central trio, Luton have now not lost any of the last 12 matches that Walsh has started, triumphing on nine occasions.
Asked just how much the player is thriving with his new responsibilities and whether his best position is in the single or double pivot role, Wilshere said: “I think he can play in both and during the season we’ve played around with that. He’s played with Sav (George Saville), I think he’s played with Kasey at times as well. We always wanted to evolve into a team that can play with a single pivot, because we feel we have more attacking threat and more options to rotate from that structure. Walshy is one who can play in there on his own.
"He’s really important with the ball, but I also think defensively he’s improved so much. He’s the one who takes the ball under pressure, he wants to turn it forward, wants to find Kasey, wants to find Davy, or our attacking players, Clicker at times. He’s also got the ability to play in behind and I’m really happy with how his season has gone. I know before we got here there was probably a doubt around how his fitness more than anything, but he’s managed to show that he can play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday and produced big numbers consistently.
"I speak to Walshy a lot, and work with him a lot. Sometimes he does like playing in there with someone else, as if he does play in there with someone else, especially if someone rotates into that position, he’s freer, so he can get on the ball, but he’s someone who can take the ball under pressure for us. He’s someone that is important for us and will be important in the next few games as well.”
Walsh, who picked up the Ian Pearce Memorial Trophy for the most man of the match awards given out at Kenilworth Road by the Luton News at the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust awards evening on Tuesday night, has started to run the show at times for the Hatters from his deeper role, none more so than the 2-2 draw at Mansfield recently.
He has also begun to add goals to his game as well, opening his account in the 2-1 victory over Northampton Town, his late winner taking the Hatters to Wembley, and then scoring against the Cobblers once more in the league, a cracking left footed shot from outside the box. On his efforts this term, Wilshere added: “Before I got here I knew his qualities, he was injured when I got here, but he’s dominated in a lot of the games that we’ve played recently.
"I think about the Wimbledon game, I thought he was outstanding, he stepped up against Northampton and what a goal. Against Mansfield, he put in a massive physical performance, even at the end when we were countered on which is a danger when you’re dominating games. To run back and he was really, really tired at that moment, shows he’s got personality and character and we love him.”