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August 29, 2024
Amid transfer window rumors, the Hatters’ manager previewed his team’s match against QPR as Luton gets ready to play them twice in as many weeks.
Luton Town manager Rob Edwards spoke to the media on Thursday as his team prepared to play Queens Park Rangers for the second time in as many weeks.
The Hatters welcome the R’s to Kenilworth Road as they continue their quest for their first victory of the new Championship campaign following a 4-1 penalty loss in the Carabao Cup at Loftus Road on Tuesday night.
Friday night marks the end of the transfer window, so initially attention was on possible outgoings and signings. Teden Mengi was the first person on the schedule after Torino expressed interest in him for Serie A.
“There’s been loads of noise, and loads of interest. The rumour mill just goes doesn’t it? It can be unsettling for people. We are in receipt right now of no live offers for any members of our squad.”
“There’s been interest – and not just about him (Mengi). It’s less than ideal, it really is.”
Regarding prospective arrivals, Edwards remained steadfast in his conviction that the team was exerting every effort to close deals. Given the recent buzz about people like Jed Wallace,
Lamine Fanne Dabo, and Mark Travers, Edwards decided to keep the public in the dark as a busy time approached.
“We’re working on one or two bits. I won’t name names or go through individuals at the moment but we are working on a couple of bits.”
“There’s been all sorts of stuff hasn’t there? We’ve been getting people back fit, you know, the window’s been going on. We’ve been working really hard to bring people in, which we’ve done great with and are still working on. There’s a lot of dynamics and stuff going on, but that’s the nature of the job. (…) We know when the window closes, and to be honest, I’ll be pleased when it is.”
While the game ended in Luton’s penalty defeat following an initial 1-1 draw, Edwards was happy to report that the injury list had not gotten any longer following Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup trial against QPR. He declared:
“People came through unscathed, which is good. Teden was not involved because he had a slight groin issue. He’s been out on the pitch today, and fitness tested. So, we’re hoping he’s going to be fit to be involved in this one. Mark McGuinness is also back involved as he was cup-tied. Everyone came through, so it’s really, really positive.”
While deep-lying midfield workhorse Marvelous Nakamba found some minutes as he steadily returned from a meniscus injury, Edwards made it clear that he has to be dealt with thoroughly.
“It was great that Marv (Nakamba) had 45 minutes (on Tuesday), but he’s not fully fit yet. We can’t ask too much of him too soon. We’ve got to be able to manage his body. He feels good, which is really positive.
“We had a great chat out on the pitch today about how we need to sit down in a few days time with a few other key members of staff, to really plot that training plan to maximize him so we can get him fitter. He can’t always train, so we just have to try and get that bit right now.”
Further performers were the returning defensive pair of Reece Burke and Mads Andersen.
“We were really pleased to have them both back. I thought both of them played very, very well and they’re a huge bonus for us now.”
While Edwards and his team were likely frustrated after their long-winded loss at Loftus Road, the manager was also quick to outline how Friday’s league fixture will be a different beast all together.
“They’ll obviously make some changes, bring other people in, people that were on the bench the other day – the one or two that didn’t play. They’ll look a different team. It was good to sort of joust a little bit on Tuesday and we’ll see them for real.”
After that, Edwards was asked a question concerning Marti Cifuentes, the man in the opposition dugout.
“I said after the game, I think he’s done a great job since he’s gone in there – so loads of respect for him and the job that he’s done there with his staff. They’re a team that, if you give them an opportunity to play, or if you’re passive, they can build and keep control of the game. They’ve also got players who can hurt you quickly and counter quickly. We didn’t see all of them the other night.
“One or two of them got introduced into the game, but obviously he can make changes in that top line and midfield. We;ll see a different version of them, I’m sure as well, but I’d like to think that we can improve again and I was pleased with a lot on Tuesday night.
”I thought it was good intensity, really aggressive. I thought we showed great control at times, but held a threat throughout the game. I want to see more of the same, even though there will be a few tweaks from our side as well.”
From this vantage point, the discussion shifted to Karamoko Dembele.The 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at QPR from Brighton, impressed while playing on loan at Blackpool the previous season and has had an intriguing impact in his most recent venture into English football.
Dembele has generated the most opportunities in the division with twelve. In fact, Dembele was a vital offensive component in the Hoops’ game against Plymouth Argyle, producing nine opportunities on his own.
That was the most a QPR player had scored in a league match since Luke Freeman (against Brentford) in April 2017. After a season in the Premier League, Edwards was asked if managing players with special abilities was a little simpler. He responded as follows:
“We’ve come up against good players recently, but (laughs) we weren’t always able to keep them out, but we’ve got good experiences from that and things to fall back on. At this level, we know there’s really, really good players. Players that can change a game quickly. He’s certainly one of those, so we’ve got to be really aware of him.”
Edwards then expanded his statement towards the rest of Cifuentes side:
“We’ve got to respect him totally, he’s got a lot of talent – but he’s not the only one.
”You could concentrate too much on him and then another one like Frey might do it, or Andersen might run off the back of you, or Lloyd might beat you in a one-v-one and put a great cross in, so they got loads of players in that last line that have got some good quality. We’ve got to respect them, but do our jobs properly and make sure defensively, that we’re very, very tight and solid.”
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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