Blues fail to top the Hatters

Blues draw at Luton Town while Andy Munro watches on.

While Blues had a couple of bright periods notably with the introduction of some attackers, they can probably thank the excellent Neil Etheridge in goal for securing a point.

It remains a mystery to me that if Blues’ current game plan is to defend deep and draw on the opposition so we can counter attack, then pace is an absolute requirement. Bela arguably has it and Jonathan Leko certainly has, so why aren’t they shoe-ins for a starting place?

Sometimes you can have too many players defending and, anyway, if they’re too deep you’re inviting the opposition to run at you with room to spare in gathering momentum. Harry Cornick was a continual thorn in our side and George Friend, who was trying to play at attacking wingbacks barely coped, proving that, at his age, he’s a good defender but only when he can focus on that task. Dean yet again was tempted into rash tackles and Marc Roberts was slow to react and looked ponderous when they equalised.

We desperately need Leko’s pace and maybe, hoping against hope, the supposed magic of new signing Alen Halilovic to put pressure on the opposition. Inviting teams on to us who know that any breakaways will be painstaking and pedestrian is inviting disaster. Similarly, playing a hopeful long ball to the Juke is never going to work unless at least one of our midfielders gets forward quickly to support him and Hogan.

Finally, it’s telling that whilst we played two forwards, without Bela or Sanchez decent crosses were as rare as definitive COVID instructions from Bojo. Amazingly I remain slightly optimistic because I do think amongst the hordes of players signed by Aitor Karanka there is an excellent and talented side in there somewhere.