MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

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Sutekh
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MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Sutekh » 18 Apr 2021 16:53




When : Wednesday 21st April 2021, 7.45pm
Where : Kenilworth Road, 1 Maple Road, Luton, LU4 8AW
Capacity : 10,073

Luton away next for anyone who is still investing in a season that still hangs by the slimmest of all threads thanks to Barnsley screwing up at Coventry on Sunday. However I can’t see Reading getting away with any more pathetic Cardiff type showings in their remaining games this season (presuming there is a chance they haven’t already failed to get away with it of course).

Luton are super safe in the division and have been pretty much since the season started so have nothing to play for other than pride and individual contracts. Despite being mid table Luton have won 6 and lost 4 of their last 10 so form is a bit better than Reading (W4, D4, L2) over the same number of games, therefore I’d expect a close game capable of going either way. Oddly though Luton’s current run appears to be win 2 then lose 2 and the Hatters have won the two games previous to the visit of Reading.....

Goals have generally been spread around the Luton team though James Collins is the main threat with 8 strikes so far this season. Tom Ince, Tom Lockyer are both out injured while Dan Potts is doubtful. Reading will be without Joao again after his shoulder injury and VP really needs to do something different to make sure players are up for things on Wednesday.

Barnsley are at Huddersfield at the same time.


Referee

Michael “my first two ever games at Division 2 level both involved Reading playing at home” Salisbury

Previously....

20 Jun 20 > Reading 1-1 Stoke City
21 Dec 19 > Reading 3-0 Derby County

Historically

47 previous league games have been played down the years between the two teams so this is the 24th season the clubs have shared and therefore the 24th visit to Kenilworth Road

Luton's little ground is a fairly unwelcome place for Reading as the Royals have only won 7 of the 23 league games played while they have been beaten on 13 occasions. Reading have also conceded 6 on two occasions and 5 on another and kept only 4 clean sheets at Kenilworth Road.

However last season saw Reading’s biggest win at the ground by 5 to nothing and Reading have scored at least once on every league visit to Luton since season 1994/1995.

How to follow the game


  1. Red button
  2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
  3. Ring/text a mate for updates
  4. Use the iFollow subscription
  5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

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Zip
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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Zip » 18 Apr 2021 17:05

No oxf*rd excuses. Let’s have a fast start. Get after them. Show that we want to win the game....win this and anything other than a win for the tykes and it’s game on.
God I feel hope again.....and that’s not good.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by windermereROYAL » 18 Apr 2021 17:22

Luton have beaten the current top 2 at home but failed against the teams holding the play-off places as it stands ( D1 L3)

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Snowflake Royal » 18 Apr 2021 18:06

Our record against Luton is strong.

Pretty confident about this one.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Royal_jimmy » 18 Apr 2021 19:05

Definitely going to be a difficult game. Need to be at our best to win this one.

Puscas will surely start so Meite needs to step up again.


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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Jackson Corner » 18 Apr 2021 19:28

Snowflake Royal Our record against Luton is strong.

Pretty confident about this one.

What about the two cup games this season?

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Zip » 18 Apr 2021 19:37

Jackson Corner
Snowflake Royal Our record against Luton is strong.

Pretty confident about this one.

What about the two cup games this season?


A bit different though as we played our second team.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Jackson Corner » 18 Apr 2021 19:45

Zip
Jackson Corner
Snowflake Royal Our record against Luton is strong.

Pretty confident about this one.

What about the two cup games this season?


A bit different though as we played our second team.


Still count as first-team games so Our recordAt

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Hound » 18 Apr 2021 21:05

Zip No oxf*rd excuses. Let’s have a fast start. Get after them. Show that we want to win the game....win this and anything other than a win for the tykes and it’s game on.
God I feel hope again.....and that’s not good.


Yeah just have to give it a real go and hope for the best tbh

Pressure off to an extent, be very surprised if we don’t finish 7th. Happy to go same team except Puscas for Joao but definitely bring on baldock, swift and Aluko earlier if we aren’t winning by the hour


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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Zip » 18 Apr 2021 21:12

Hound
Zip No oxf*rd excuses. Let’s have a fast start. Get after them. Show that we want to win the game....win this and anything other than a win for the tykes and it’s game on.
God I feel hope again.....and that’s not good.


Yeah just have to give it a real go and hope for the best tbh

Pressure off to an extent, be very surprised if we don’t finish 7th. Happy to go same team except Puscas for Joao but definitely bring on baldock, swift and Aluko earlier if we aren’t winning by the hour


Yep. Subs must come on earlier. Fresh legs and all that. Tempted to play two up front. Yaks and Puscas and bring in Aluko. Possibly have Ovie on the bench.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Stranded » 18 Apr 2021 21:28

If we go 2up top, I'd be tempted to play Baldock especially as he did pretty well in the reverse fixture.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Zip » 18 Apr 2021 21:32

Stranded If we go 2up top, I'd be tempted to play Baldock especially as he did pretty well in the reverse fixture.


Who would you drop?

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Stranded » 18 Apr 2021 21:38

Zip
Stranded If we go 2up top, I'd be tempted to play Baldock especially as he did pretty well in the reverse fixture.


Who would you drop?


Ejaria probably with the plan to bring him on for the last 30 against a tiring defence.

You don't drop Meite at Luton.

Alternatively, drop Richards and play Yiadom as part of a 3. Keep all the attacking options on the pitch.


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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Zip » 18 Apr 2021 21:42

Stranded
Zip
Stranded If we go 2up top, I'd be tempted to play Baldock especially as he did pretty well in the reverse fixture.


Who would you drop?


Ejaria probably with the plan to bring him on for the last 30 against a tiring defence.

You don't drop Meite at Luton.

Alternatively, drop Richards and play Yiadom as part of a 3. Keep all the attacking options on the pitch.


I’d definitely play Meite but I still don’t see him as a winger. He isn’t much of a crosser. I’d rather have him in the box to be on the end of crosses. Just don’t think playing one up front is working. Whether it’s Baldock or Aluko that comes in I do think it’s Ovie that needs to make way.
I would play both Richards and Yiadom

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Snowflake Royal » 18 Apr 2021 23:23

Jackson Corner
Snowflake Royal Our record against Luton is strong.

Pretty confident about this one.

What about the two cup games this season?

Kids.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by Snowflake Royal » 18 Apr 2021 23:26

Meite isn't a winger and he's not there to cross.

We don't play with wingers who cross. We have forwards who cut inside.

We could do with more crossing from the left for Meite to bully a LB on the far post, mind.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by CountryRoyal » 18 Apr 2021 23:46

Snowflake Royal Meite isn't a winger and he's not there to cross.

We don't play with wingers who cross. We have forwards who cut inside.

We could do with more crossing from the left for Meite to bully a LB on the far post, mind.


If anything the fact they like to cut inside shouldn’t be a bad thing because Richards and Yiadom are supposedly such good full backs - by and large their delivery has been disappointing.

Ejaria just is NOT a wide player, he’s too slow and intricate, he cuts inside because he A has no left foot and B doesn’t have pace to beat anyone on the outside really (not without skill anyway). Meite on the other hand has the pace but why in oxf*rd name he tries to cross 24/7 is beyond me. He cuts inside because he is more effective, simple as.

What I don’t understand is why we’ve had to watch cross after cross from Meite on his weaker foot. When were either not winning and struggling to create or even losing - is it not worth thinking hey, if this guy is beating his man and crossing on his weak foot, why not try him on the other side for a bit.

Nope? Just me then.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by CountryRoyal » 18 Apr 2021 23:48

Anyway, as far as this game. Barnsley’s loss breaths that little bit of hope into unsuspecting fans lives.

We will probably lose.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by URZZZZ » 18 Apr 2021 23:59

CountryRoyal
Snowflake Royal Meite isn't a winger and he's not there to cross.

We don't play with wingers who cross. We have forwards who cut inside.

We could do with more crossing from the left for Meite to bully a LB on the far post, mind.


If anything the fact they like to cut inside shouldn’t be a bad thing because Richards and Yiadom are supposedly such good full backs - by and large their delivery has been disappointing.



Yiadom and Richards have never really been the type to get to the byline and whip a cross in. More of a emphasis on cutting inside, and playing intricately through the middle, which sometimes becomes too predictable, especially considering the lack of any wide options from the attacking players. For the criticism that Blackett and Obita got, they both had a fairly decent cross on them. Not meant to be construed as a dig at Richards but it just ain’t really his game

It’s why I’ve constantly advocated a wide player who’s able to liven things up and deliver an accurate cross. People have argued that Esteves/Yiadom/Richards should be able to provide the width but they aren’t very good at doing that part of the game

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

by royalp-we » 19 Apr 2021 00:08

It suddenly all gets a bit exciting again

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