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Luton Town Deepdale Kenilworth Road 18/1/25 - themaclad - 16-01-2025 LUTON TOWN KENILWORTH ROAD 18/1/2025 15.00HRS https://www.lutontown.co.uk/en MANAGER Matthew James Bloomfield (born 8 February 1984) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship club Luton Town. A product of Ipswich Town's academy, Bloomfield would join Wycombe on a free transfer in 2003, having made just two EFL Cup appearances for Ipswich. He spent 19 years with Wycombe, playing for the club in League Two, League One and the Championship, and was in the team that reached the semi-final of the 2006–07 Football League Cup. At the start of his final professional season in 2021, he was named as a first team coach, in addition to his role as a player. Following his retirement in 2022, he moved into full-time management, initially with Colchester United in EFL League Two, before returning to manage Wycombe in 2023. LAST TIME ON THE PARK FORM GUIDE LUTON 3 PNE 7 Don't think they are as bad as the table suggests the winning goal for QPR summed up their luck at the moment. FORM MEN LUTON INTERESTING BITS Someries Castle (sometimes spelt Summeries castle)[1] is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, in the Parish of Hyde, near the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England. History Ruins of Someries Castle, Bedfordshire It was built in the 15th century by Sir John Wenlock, whose ghost is reputed to haunt the castle.[2] Although always referred to as a castle it was actually a fortified manor house. The name "Someries Castle" is derived from William de Someries (or Somerys),[3] who had a residence on this site, but the title "castle" is contentious since it hardly describes the structure to which it is applied. The site was acquired by Wenlock in 1430 and building the mansion commenced. The house is regarded as one of the first brick buildings in England.[4] The house was not completed by Wenlock, as the Tudor historian John Leland noted. Work was halted after Wenlock's death at the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. The site passed to the Rotheram family. The mansion was partly demolished in the 18th century. The brickwork can still be seen in the remains of the gatehouse, incorporating the chapel and lodge, which still stands.[5] Earthworks previously thought to originate from an earlier manor house are now considered to relate to the 15th-century mansion's formal garden. Bricks from the mansion have been utilised in nearby 19th-century farm buildings.[6][7] CHAMPO STUFF RE: Luton Town Deepdale Kenilworth Road 18/1/25 - themaclad - 17-01-2025 The Fitness Test [ Jayden Meghoma and Lewis Gibson will both be in contention to make their Sky Bet Championship debuts for North End. Robbie Brady is back in training after missing the previous five matches, although the weekend will come too soon for Brad Potts. Ched Evans was named in a matchday squad for the first time since May 2024 in midweek and he’ll be pushing to be involved again on Saturday. The Hatters Luton Town will begin a new era on Saturday as life under new manager Matt Bloomfield begins. Following the departure of Rob Edwards – who earned the club promotion to the Premier League in the 2022/23 season – the Hatters have moved quickly to find their successor, who had led Wycombe Wanderers to the automatic promotion spots in League One. He’s tasked with turning their season around, as the Hatters currently sit just two points above the drop after their relegation from the top flight last season. The Officials [ Tim Robinson is set to take charge of his first PNE fixture since April 2023. Robinson has refereed 14 matches this season, the majority of which have been Premier League fixtures, and in that time has shown 66 yellow cards and one red. THE BOSS Paul Heckingbottom is preparing his side to face the “best version” of Luton Town this weekend. The Hatters will begin life under new manager Matt Bloomfield on Saturday, as the former Wycombe Wanderers boss takes charge of his first game. He’s tasked with pushing his new side up the table, as they currently sit two points above the bottom three following their relegation from the Premier League last season. Hecky said: “We're preparing for the best version of Luton. Generally at home they've been good. It's away from home they've struggled. “They've just changed to a back four in the last couple of games, just due to results so they’ve been trying to get something to work. “Matt's played a back four at Wycombe the majority of the time, but he may walk in there and think, this squad's more suited to a back five, a back three, a four. I don't know. “From that respect, we've just got to focus on ourselves and make sure we're prepared for every eventuality, but rather than confuse everyone, just make sure that we're prepared to deliver our best performance as well. “There'll be a bounce again around the stadium, the players, and this is not intentional but there'll be a subconscious little reaction from them because it's the same players who were getting plaudits in the Premier League regardless of results. “I know they got relegated and they've actually added to that squad as well. We know they're underperforming in terms of where they are in the league, based on what they're capable of.” North End will head to Bedfordshire looking for the second away league victory of the campaign. [ Following the previous match away from home – a defeat to West Brom – the manager said he might have to look into doing things differently on the road. Hecky said: “I stand by that 100%, just because we've generally been really consistent but the moments I've not been happy with have come away from home. “If we want to be competing where we want to compete then we need to be able to still pick up points when we're not playing well. “When we've been away from home we've had to play really well to pick up points. “Over the course of a season you've got to be able to pick up clean sheets, 1-0 wins, scrappy wins and points when you're under the cosh away from home as well. I just think I have to be more proactive in trying to make that happen.” Robbie Brady could make his return to the team this weekend after missing the last few games with a rib injury, however this one will likely come too soon for Brad Potts. There could, however, be a debut for Jayden Meghoma, following his arrival at the club on loan from Brentford. Hecky shared his thoughts: “I just want him to bring what he does and how we’ve seen him play. He plays with a lot of energy, with enthusiasm, and he's really game when he's on the pitch. “For his young age, the young players I've seen around, he's the closest to what we need. While the Championship is a totally different test to what he's been used to, I think he's more than capable. “He's played at the top level with England youth, played in the Premier League, played for Southampton in the cup and played for Brentford in the cup. He’s training day in, day out with top Premier League players, so the level won't challenge him at all. In terms of that, he's more than capable. “It’s just the different challenges that the Championship poses, how physically and mentally robust you have to be to go Saturday, Tuesday in a more competitive and physical league.” MACS VIEW Two left sided defenders signed only taken three uears to get a left wing back, off to Kenilworth Road, hope Mrs Patel has the kettle on as we go up the stairs tuo the away end. Last time was a nightmare when we went there lost by half time. New manager bounce perhaps, think Edwards was unlucky but c'est la vie as the Greeks say RE: Luton Town Deepdale Kenilworth Road 18/1/25 - themaclad - 19-01-2025 Luton Town 0 Preston North End 0 Attendance: 11,540 (1,214 PNE pre-sales). Referee: Mr T Robinson. One of those games which won't last long in the memory, although the curse of having ITV 4 as the main match losing curse was broken. Grim ad cold weather, ground which was a troow back to the grim old days in the 70's and having too see Luton in the daylight exceedingly grim. Five changes from midweek, up against a club with the new manager bounce although never would have known it from the deadly quiet home fans. First period we created absolutely nothing, had a few scares down the other end Krauss early effort after Jones had eased past Hughes, Clark from the left hand side, shot easily saved by Woodman, a couole of other scrambled efforts in the box that came to nothing. We had small periods of play where we looked to have a foothold but their penalty area looked like a bucket wish for the players. Second period better always looked a threat from dead balls but didn't really test Kaminski. Luton free kick well saved by Woodman couple of other efforts but nothing thatwould cause much of a danger to our gooal. Mr Simpson gave them everything, perfect referee for a crap game. Luton is not an attractive place but do like fruit and vegetable shops that have masses of fruit in boxes outside the shop, home by 9.30 absolute bonus, and the thrill of doing the same journey again on Tuesday with 25 miles extra each way, hopefully will be far better than what we got yesterday. HECKY Paul Heckingbottom wanted his side to show a different mentality away from home and he was pleased with their approach in the goalless draw against Luton Town. North End took a point from a tight game of few chances at Kenilworth Road. Freddie Woodman had to make a few relatively routine stops on the day, given the shift put in from those ahead of him, while the Lilywhites couldn't manage to break through the Luton Town back-line. Hecky said: “I’m really pleased with how we approached it, how we managed the game and how we took away their threats. “It was a difficult one to prepare for with a new manager, but we knew their home form and how they'd been scoring goals. “12 of the last 20 have come from set plays. Four high regains when they're direct and they just drop balls in your box. Two more long balls where they just turn teams. There's only been two goals they’ve scored in the last 20 which have been from what you'd class as open-play football. “We picked a team with that in mind because we knew that would be a common theme with the players and having watched Matt’s Wycombe team. “We knew we were coming to a direct team with a different energy about them because of a change in manager and then the atmosphere in the stadium.” The boss said after his side’s previous away outing against West Brom on New Year’s Day that he may look to change the set-up on the road. That was in his mind in the preparation for the trip to Kenilworth Road, while there was also the consideration that it was Matt Bloomfield’s first game in charge of the Hatters. Hecky said: “The bits I've not liked is away from home when we've been like a pretty team. We’ve just been out-competed in moments and then the game's gone away from us. “When we have competed we look like we've done okay in the second half for example, but the damage is done so we had to make sure from minute one that that wasn't going to be the case today. “We've had too many games where we've been the better team only taking a point and when we have had moments where we haven't been at our best we've been punished, so today was about us showing a mentality to come away with something today.” More than 1,200 PNE fans made the journey south to watch the Lilywhites take on Luton, and they were in fine voice all day long. Hecky added: “They were great because there was good energy from their fans today and our fans came just like we did to try and spoil that and try and impose ourselves on the pitch and our fans imposed themselves on the noise in the stadium as well. “So, yeah, fantastic. That's what we want to be. We want to be together away from home. They want to see that sort of fight and determination to come away with things, especially in a hard-fought game on a poor pitch. The only thing we didn't get is the three points.” Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield told BBC Three Counties Radio: "It's a good point and good to get a clean sheet and they didn't have any shots on target. "Coming off a run of five straight defeats, it was nice to get that - the first one in 12. (in all competitions). We had a good out-of-possession shape "We didn't quite have the right touch in the final third. We would have liked to have created more and shot more but we understand where we are as a team "There's a lot of work to do, but in terms of a foundation, I have to say I'm pleased." RE: Luton Town Deepdale Kenilworth Road 18/1/25 - themaclad - 20-01-2025