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Let's face it...
Posted by Cybermat on 26/8/2026, 19:06:49
...since relegation from the PL until the middle of last season, LTFC was not a good place for new players to shine. I really don't know how good Jerry Yates, Millenic Alli,Lasse Nordas etc are, or could be, because we had no shape, no identity (odd word, but it works), or cohesiveness since we left the PL. There were glimmers, of recovery and some players did OK, but really we were a shambles that had little to do with individuals, and a lot to do with losing our collective way. I do hope and believe that we are getting things back together, but the way some people are lambasting players feels a little bit entitled to me, and that isn't the Luton I know and love.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Andy Cappuccino on 26/8/2026, 19:38:40, in reply to "Let's face it..."
Alternatively, we recruited a bunch of players who were undoubtedly talented but just couldn't be arsed to dig in when things didn't immediately work out in their favour
Posted by whhatter on 26/8/2026, 19:15:08, in reply to "Let's face it..."
Its nothing to do with being entitled mate, its to do with the way the club has fallen in such a short time. That is/was very hard to accept. We went down twice without a whimper and that isnt Luton either, esoecially the Championship season.
However, I do feel we are starting to turn a corner with JW and the recent changes both on and off the pitch. The club has learnt a valuable lesson, and hopefully will learn from it. Good things are on the horizon and its going to take very good management to do it on the pitch, which I think we now have have.
We all want the same thing, some pride in the shirt and of the players we have had in the last 2 years didnt give a shit to be honest.
Anyway, the players who want to be here, are here and im sure we will all get behind them.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Poster from the past on 26/8/2026, 19:25:52, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
It was utterly shit recruitment from January 2024 for 2 years. We paid well over the odds for players that simply weren't worth what we paid for them and who weren't good enough for the levels they were signed to play at.
It looks like we've got past that now, hopefully.
The opposite could be said for the period during the climb from non league to Premier League. But then we went from one of the savviest clubs at recruitment to one of the worst during our only season in the Premier League.
In hindsight it looks like the world of the Premier League was so far beyond anything anyone at the club had ever experienced that a lot of appalling decisions were made.
outlaws is not the barometer of sanity. You're either Luton full tilt or you are nothing. We have spunked way too much money on shite. The end.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Ramridge Raider on 26/8/2026, 21:39:50, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
The Summer window prior to promotion was pretty horrendous as well. Big money spent on Giles, Mads, Brown, Chong and Nakamba.
I wasn't expecting to stay up but I did expect us to turn a decent profit on some of thode investments. We fucked that up leaving us totally reliant on parachute payments. Which we then also fucked up.....
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Sandgrounder on 26/8/2026, 21:59:31, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
Giles and Nakamba were perfectly reasonable signings at the time. Even Chong, who had his moments in the PL. Brown and Andersen didn’t make any sense even at the time. Feel we could have done better than Kaminski, though he was a decent shot stopper. We made a £13M transfer fee profit on Barkley and Ogbene. Townsend was a decent signing.
Yes I’d have hoped we’d have made more of a profit too, but ultimately we didn’t risk that much in fees (in PL terms) compared to other promoted teams to sign young, high potential, high quality players. So the rewards weren’t likely to be that high either. It was low risk, low reward approach from a club that wasn’t set up to spend the money well and shop in the new markets now available to us.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Ramridge Raider on 26/8/2026, 22:14:17, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
Not sure I would agree. When you start spending £4/5M on players you would hope to double your money (at least) and then reinvest. The fact that we didn't turn a profit on any of the players that we spent money on was pretty disastrous.
Our loans and free's were actually decent but we were incredibly amateurish when spending money.
It'll be a long time until we spend £5M on a player again and that's rather depressing.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Music Critic on 26/8/2026, 22:44:20, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
Spot on
January 2023 was a good window but, apart from that, every transfer window after Jones left was a fucking calamity. Since the turn of this calendar year, things have improved but the club really fucked it for 4 or 5 windows after we got promoted to the prem. Holmes, Harris and Hashioka in Jan 2024 - ridiculous recruitment for a prem club. That, after being really good at bringing players in during the previous 6 or 7 years. Very odd. I think we needed different expertise once we went up
Myself and several others called it at the time. It's all very well going from the conference to the championship and bravo all involved but the PL is a different gravy. What was needed IMO was a PL savvy person on the board, between Edwards and Sweet. Unfortunately ego's didn't allow that. It's a closed shop and to fuck about anyone else's opinions.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Music Critic on 26/8/2026, 23:27:31, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
I still find myself shaking my head at the way the prem promotion (and relegation) was mismanaged.
The club did brilliantly to get there and then threw it all away. They deserve credit for the former but the criticism and questioning for the latter is more than fair, too. Complacency killed us.
We all know what a monumental achievement it was to go from the conference to the PL. I feel very fortunate that my 2 lads got to witness that with me But we went from that to being the worst club to ever fall out of the PL. There's still loads of questions unanswered. Accountability zero. The biggest pay day in the clubs history and fuck all to show for it. And yet some have 25%..... not a bad gig.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Oakley hatter on 27/8/2026, 08:44:43, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
You have to remember other teams much bigger than us have double relegation Sunderland and Leicester. We messed up with recruitment two windows Premier leauge winter window and championship summer window.The club is alot stronger than it has been for very long time new stadium on the way new training ground.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Music Critic on 27/8/2026, 12:35:41, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
Sunderland back then and Leicester now were/are in a total mess off the pitch. We are supposed to be well run
There is no way a well run club should have been double relegated from the Prem
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Sandgrounder on 26/8/2026, 22:50:06, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
Certainly not disputing that Jan 2024 was a disaster, and the club have admitted they got that window wrong too. The next 3 were pretty awful too!
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Sandgrounder on 26/8/2026, 22:30:02, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
Im not sure we are too far apart. I’m trying to judge at the time rather than with the benefit of hindsight, but I’m not denying that the outcome was terrible (and I’ve said so on here many times).
Nakamba we were never going to make a profit on but I think every Luton fan would’ve signed him that summer. Giles was perhaps the highest rated wing back outside the top flight, I was very confident we’d turn a profit on him. Chong was a bit of a swing but again a profit was on the cards if it went well.
You don’t tend to make much profit on keepers unless young, high potential profile, which Kaminski wasn’t. Like I say, I think we could’ve done better.
There was no world in which we were ever making a profit on Brown and Andersen - like I say they were really poor signings.
Ultimately even £3-5M is small beer now at that level and the types of players you sign for that money are not guaranteed profit makers unless everything goes well. We were stuck in a bit of no man’s land, trying not to risk too much but limiting our returns as well and ultimately signing average players. I get why it happened, but I think we could’ve spent the money we did spend better, for sure.
Re: Let's face it...
Posted by Ampthill Fan on 26/8/2026, 20:11:56, in reply to "Re: Let's face it..."
During non league prior to promotion..we had the experience of John Still..he churned through a few players but resulted in a group who were a joy to watch..Prior to that big Joe did similar again a tough hard working group..that player selection missing now
Putting my "wislhere" hat on Naismith seems to care about the club. he has a decent passing range and can be vocal and experienced. Oh and he is older than Jack so therefore undroppable!
He actually did Ok last season after reading. I don`t think he has the pace to be a fullback right now and is prone to some errors. But he isnt as bad as portrayed.
Agreed on all points mate. The rise was the pinnacle and we have a lot to be thankful for. I just think the disappointment after the savvy management through the years was tough to watch. If we had stayed in the championship I think everyone would have been overjoyed.
Imo. Far more to it than actual playing ability. Obviously unless someone releases a book who knows I’ve always felt the new players coming in during the Prem season would’ve been on more money than the lads who got us promoted and that probably doesn’t help. And the summer after a few wanted out and weren’t allowed to which then caused resentment A lot more to football than just the playing ability
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What you read on here is 100% conjecture, fiction, lies, bullshit and complete bollocks. If you want to be taken seriously, you are in the wrong place.
Enjoy. Admin contact - dilligaf.outlaws@gmail.com.
on 26/8/2026, 19:06:49