Whether you’re a football fan or a professional working within the industry, we all love a good underdog story, a surprise package.
Luton Town have been that since the start of the 2021/22 EFL Championship season and have shifted into overdrive this campaign.
Luton have been doing the rounds on social media for some time, thanks to their unique stadium entrance, and now fans are realising that we may well see that entrance being used in a Premier League setting.
The Hatters, who finished sixth last season, have stunned everyone by bettering that effort, finishing third this time around.
Notably, they have achieved this while operating with one of the lowest budgets in the English second league.
This scout report will examine some of the key tactical elements that contributed to Luton Town’s success under coach Rob Edwards, focusing on their build-up play and off-the-ball movements in this tactical analysis.
There will also be an analysis of some of the tactical content that were key in Nathan Jones Luton tactics that Edwards has decided to stick with.
Rob Edwards Formations
Last season’s success was achieved under the guidance of Nathan Jones, but he left Luton in November of this season to take up the manager’s job at Premier League outfit Southampton.
The man to take his place was Rob Edwards, who, like Jones, is an excellent developmental coach.
The Former Wales international made a name for himself in football management thanks to his success at Forest Green Rovers.
You may remember the controversy that surrounded him as he “jumped ship” to Watford in May of 2022.
His tenure as Hornets’ gaffer was short-lived, as he was relieved of his duties in September of the same year, having won three of his 11 games in charge.
A few eyebrows were raised when he was hired by Luton Town less than two months later, but we don’t think many are questioning that decision now.
Luton Town Formations 2022/2023
A new manager changing a team’s formation midway through the season can often be a very risky manoeuvre, which is probably part of the reason Rob Edwards decided to continue with a 3-5-2 shape or 3-4-1-2, depending on how he wanted his midfield to operate.
This shape has allowed Luton to excel in their existing strong areas from the Jones era, while also complementing Edwards’ tactical additions.
Namely, the tendency to switch from a direct approach play to playing through the midfield zones, as we will discuss later in this analysis.
Nathan Jones Lasting Impact
It’s common for a team’s tactical identity to change completely when a new manager joins the club; still, Edwards seems to have embraced certain parts of what made the Hatters so good last season, highlighting a tactical versatility in his coaching skillset.
While the Welsh coach hasn’t simply copied and pasted Nathan Jones’ tactics, he has kept some crucial elements, likely because they suit the players at his disposal.
One of the primary forms of attack that Edwards’ side have incorporated from Nathan Jones’ style of play is the tendency to utilise direct play, hitting the attacking unit as early as possible and looking to play off them.
This section will recap Luton Town’s direct style of play, originally covered by TFA’s Adam Scully last year, with a focus on how it has been incorporated into their current tactics.
As mentioned earlier in the article, Rob Edwards has done well at playing to his squad’s strengths, and using Carlton Morris as the target of direct play works nicely – his strong physique pairs effectively with his decent technical ability, so he can bring the ball down having received it via a long pass from his defender, as we see above.
One key aspect that was covered in our tactical analysis of Nathan Jones Luton Town last year was their structured support system in place for the individual receiving the direct pass, and it is something they still do well to this day.
The pass into Morris sent the forward wide into the channel.
While the 27-year-old striker was doing a stellar job in protecting the ball, he needed support – support in these situations is generally provided by the wing-back, nearest midfielder, and his strike partner.
This image gives us more insight into Luton’s mindset in possession.
Sheffield United had just successfully defended one wave of attack, but Luton soon had the ball back, giving them another chance of going forward.
The image is taken from midway through the first half, yet you would be forgiven for thinking that The Hatters were chasing a last-minute goal based on their approach.
There was the opportunity for a more patient approach, yet they opted for a ball straight into the attacking unit.
And that is where we get another example of their good movement and support for the recipient.
The two closest players peel away, putting themselves in space, unmarked, but also in a good position to receive the ball from a knockdown.
Being effective in direct attacking can be a challenge, but taking up supporting positions like this can make a huge difference.
Gabriel Osho & Reece Burke Progressive Passes Map
The pass maps above show us the progressive passes from Gabriel Osho, who has played both LCB and RCB this season, and the former West Ham man Reece Burke, who has been solid at RCB when called upon.
The LCB/RCB are more likely to be the ones playing that long ball as they have a good position for either a diagonal pass or a lofted ball into the channels.
Burke’s map shows more consistency, with a lot of his progressive passes being played to the right flank.
While Luton don’t really make significantly more long and progressive passes than their Championship counterparts, it is their accuracy that puts them in a league of their own.
Averaging 73.75 progressive passes per 90 minutes, they boast an accuracy rate of 73.8%, whilst their opponents only manage an accuracy of 67.6% against the Hatters.
It is a similar story when it comes to long passes in general – 51.95 long passes per 90 (lower than the opponent’s average) with an accuracy of 56.1% (also lower than the opponent’s average).
Exploiting The Middle To Reach The Final Third
Being direct in attack can be an effective way to go, but it can be quite predictable if you have no alternative attacking tactics, which would make things much easier for the opposition defence.
While we aren’t about to claim that Edwards has Luton Town playing like Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side, the former Wolves defender has encouraged his side to identify spaces left by the opposition, particularly in midfield areas, and use them to their gain, allowing for access to dangerous attacking areas.
This analysis example highlights the ability to move the ball quickly.
Luton previously had the ball near the right flank but shifted it inside and found themselves in the position above.
Thanks to some quick, decisive thinking from Marvelous Nakamba and good movement from his teammate to get into an unmarked area in the opposition midfield, Luton was able to transform midfield possession into a dangerous attack.
Executing this method in a somewhat busy midfield area holds the risk of losing the ball and being hit on a dangerous break, but the decision to play through midfield wasn’t a random one on this occasion.
The movement of the LWB caused the Sheffield United player to shift his attention to the Luton player, drawing him slightly away from the midfielder.
Additionally, the Blades have a significant presence in that midfield zone; finding a space to exploit is not only impressive but also gives them a chance to carry the ball into a dangerous area that lies between the opposition’s defense and midfield.
Proof that individual awareness and actions can be just as important as team tactics.
Identifying and utilising space on the brink of the final third was seen on an occasion where Edwards’ team had a throw-in on the right flank with a scattered presence.
Whether or not this was their intention, they created space between the midfield and attack.
Amari’i Bell was the one to capitalise on this and timed his movement into the space rather well.
From there, as Bell received the ball, he carried the attack’s momentum with him as he realised the space ahead of him, driving into the box and towards the byline.
The Jamaican was aided by the positioning of his highlighted teammate, as his location kept the closest defender from shuffling across and blocking the space he eventually ran into.
That defender did act, but not early enough to stop Bell’s run and the delivery that followed.
This move resulted in a goal for Luton.
Rob Edwards Counter-Pressing & Transitions
As we mentioned earlier in this analysis, Luton are a hard-working, energetic side that likes to hassle their opponents to disturb their possession, with their liking of the press dating back to Jones’ time at the club.
While they are still active and effective in this field, they also utilise counter-pressing very nicely.
They have also displayed the want and ability to hit their opponents quickly after winning the ball back.
Luton’s style of play comes with velocity and intensity, so they need to be well-equipped off-the-ball to handle moments where they are in danger of being hit on the break.
This particular example occurred immediately after a scramble for possession in the middle of the pitch, with Millwall emerging victorious.
With the Millwall man receiving the ball while still slightly off-balance, facing his own goal, Luton were encouraged to execute the counter-press with some force – all three highlighted players swarmed the player on the ball to successfully win the ball back in a key area.
Not only does Luton have a knack for timing their counter-press well, but they can also be deadly in the transition that comes with it.
The three that were involved in winning the ball back all joined the resulting attack as they looked to hurt Millwall quickly.
Morris, who came out of the duel with the ball, drove forward toward the final third before shifting the ball to Cauley Woodrow, who found space in a disorganised Millwall midfield unit.
Woodrow proceeded to carry the ball into the box before playing a pass into attack.
Luton didn’t score from this move, but were able to bring possession firmly under their control in the attacking third, making the counter-press in the middle of the pitch a successful move.
Here, we see a counterpress that demonstrates the aggressive side of Rob Edwards’ men, as one of the defenders leaves his post to quickly shut the Sheffield United man down.
Possession fell to the Blades player on the right flank following a scrap for possession, and he decided to follow the space and drift inside.
He was met with a textbook challenge from the Luton man following the decision to rush out to meet the opponent and went one better after winning the ball back…
He carried the ball past one oncoming opponent with teammates bursting forward, yet another example of the Hatters’ players buying into Edwards’ philosophy.
This may seem like a small detail to attach to that claim, but often, in the same situation, other teams would look to hold the ball with close support rather than multiple players making forward runs.
Luton Town High Regains Map
This map of high regains gives us yet more insight into Luton’s energy off the ball.
134 times, they’ve won the ball back this season and taken a shot within 20 seconds of doing so.
This highlights a significant threat in winning the ball in dangerous areas or the ability to quickly shift the ball into these areas after regaining possession.
On average, they don’t exceed the opponent’s average in terms of the number of recoveries per 90 (97.73 to the opponent’s average of 98.73); still, the timing of their recoveries and how they attack after a counter-pressing recovery is a real highlight of their play.
Conclusion
Luton haven’t just scraped into the playoffs, they have made it comfortably, even with the added challenge of the low budget.
What they have proven is that selecting the right coach/manager is key, as is the coach/manager playing a style that brings out the best in the players.
Rob Edwards’ Luton are a team that will fight for every ball out of possession and have a clear identity in possession.
They also have the third-best defensive record in the Championship, which speaks volumes about the work done by everyone involved.
To the surprise of many, Luton have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons – could they really be facing the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City next season?
