Long balls and inside pressing traps: How Nathan Jones has turned Luton Town into playoff contenders – tactical analysis

Fittingly nicknamed ‘The Hatters’ for their historical connection with the hat-making trade, you have to take your hat off to Luton Town for the remarkable season they are having.

Despite having the second-lowest average attendance in England’s second-tier, Kenilworth Road has been rocking in the 2021/22 campaign. Sitting in the final playoff spot with just less than a quarter of the season still to go, Nathan Jones’ side are certainly punching above their weight.

Already merely five points off last season’s tally of 62, Luton could make an outstanding, yet surprising push to reach the promised land of the Premier League for the first time in history, a feat thought unimaginable when the team were battling it out in the National League less than a decade ago.

The football played by Jones’ men isn’t extravagant by any stretch of the imagination but its effectiveness has reigned supreme in what has been an extremely competitive Championship season.

The world got a glimpse of Luton’s dogged determination and tremendous tenacity in their recent FA Cup bout against the European champions Chelsea. Despite falling to a late Romelu Lukaku strike, the Hatters fought tooth and nail for every ball, going toe-to-toe with the English giants and showing their quality as well as their tactical discipline.

This article will be a tactical analysis of Luton Town in this campaign in the form of a team scout report. It will be an analysis of the key tactics behind the side’s inspiring success this season.

Formation and style

As part of a common tactical trend this season in the Football League, Luton Town have predominantly used a back three formation in all competitions. The Hatters have used a back three system in exactly 63 percent of their matches this season. The 3-5-2/5-3-2, in particular, has been Luton’s most utilised formation and has been deployed in 38 percent of their games.

Jones has a preference for this structure due to its excellent defensive solidity but has also been no stranger to switching things up and setting the side up in more of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3/4-1-4-1.

Luton are stacked with quality in the defensive department including former West Ham United academy player Reece Burke, ex-Aston Villa defender James Bree as well as Welsh international Tom Lockyer and so using a back three with wingbacks makes quite a lot of sense due to the personnel available to Jones.

But how exactly do Luton Town like to play? The Hatters are happy to cede possession to their opponents and have averaged just 44.5 percent ball possession in their games this season, the third-lowest in the division.