MATCH THREAD: " LUTON TOWN v CARDIFF CITY " MATCH THREAD

LUTON TOWN v CARDIFF CITY
Saturday 8th January, 3pm
Sky Bet Championship
Kenilworth Road 


TEAM NEWS

Cardiff City XI: Smithies; Richards, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Vaulks, Pack; Adomah, Tomlin, Murphy; Paterson


Subs: Neil Etheridge Aden Flint Leandro Bacuna Gavin Whyte Junior Hoilett Danny Ward Robert Glatzel




This match is All ticket

Cardiff have sold their allocation of 1,028 tickets and they were sold out with in 4hrs


TEAM NEWS


No Joe Ralls

Neil Harris:

"Not this weekend, the glute. You don’t really get glute injuries. I’m desperate to work with him and see him on the pitch. He won’t be available for Saturday or maybe next Wednesday. Another two and a half weeks missed, so it’s frustrating for Joe."



New signings Dion Sanders Brad Smiith and Albert Abomah are all in Neil Harris squad to travel to Luton


Connolly, Vassell , Greg Cunningham and Mendez-Laing are all out injured.


About Luton Town

Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknamed 'the Hatters' and affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association. The team plays its home matches at Kenilworth Road, where it has been based since 1905. The club's history includes major trophy wins, several financial crises, numerous promotions and relegations, and some spells of sustained success. It was perhaps most prominent between 1982 and 1992, when it was a member of English football's top division, at that time the First Division; the team won its only major honour, the Football League Cup, in 1988.

The club was the first in southern England to turn professional, making payments to players as early as 1890 and turning fully professional a year later. It joined the Football League before the 1897–98 season, left in 1900 because of financial problems, and rejoined in 1920. Luton reached the First Division in 1955–56 and contested a major final for the first time when playing Nottingham Forest in the 1959 FA Cup Final. The team was then relegated from the top division in 1959–60, and demoted twice more in the following five years, playing in the Fourth Division from the 1965–66 season. However, it was promoted back to the top level by 1974–75.

Luton Town's most recent successful period began in 1981–82, when the club won the Second Division, and thereby gained promotion to the First. Luton defeated Arsenal 3–2 in the 1988 Football League Cup Final and remained in the First Division until relegation at the end of the 1991–92 season. Between 2007 and 2009, financial difficulties caused the club to fall from the second tier of English football to the fifth in successive seasons. The last of these relegations came during the 2008–09 season, when 30 points were docked from Luton's record for various financial irregularities. Luton thereafter spent five seasons in non-League football before winning the Conference Premier in 2013–14, securing promotion back into the Football League.

Previous Meeting

We lost 3-0 at home to Luton in the EFL Cup in August.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Luton Town: Sluga, Bree, Pearson, Daniels, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Rea, Mpanzu, Cornick, LuaLua, Collins

Cardiff City: Smithies, Sanderson, Nelson, Morrison, Bennett, Bacuna, Pack, Whyte, Hoilett, Tomlin, Glatzel

Form - Last Three Games   

West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Luton Town
Luton Town 3-2 Derby County
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Luton Town

Cardiff City 3-3 Reading
Cardiff City 1-1 Reading
Cardiff City 2-1 West Bromwich Albion

Match Odds

Luton Town - 2/1
Cardiff City - 13/10
Draw - 12/5

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

2-1 to Luton.

I'm going for a city win. Everything is gonna click. NH and his fast free flowing frenetic footballing style will begin.

All ticket


Cardiff have sold their allocation of 1,028 tickets and they were sold out with in 4hrs

Luton Town are currently at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship league table, with 24 points attained so far in their current campaign.

In their last outing, the side met West Bromwich Ablion, and were defeated by the Baggies at the Hawthorns as the hosts retook their place at the top of the league table.

Earlier that week, the Hatters won their first league match since December 7th's 2-1 away victory over Wigan Athletic, defeating Derby County 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

Following a goalless first half, the Rams took the lead thanks to a goal from January signing Wayne Rooney, who struck home from a free-kick at over 20 yards out. However, the hosts struck back not long after, as Pelly Ruddock's equaliser was followed up by Donervon Daniels' 73rd minute strike to put the Hatters ahead.

With Derby County seemingly having settled the score through Chris Martin's 85th minute leveller, there was to be another twist to the tale, as Derby right-back Jayden Bogle scored an own-goal to give the hosts all three points one minute later.



Luton Town

Graeme Jones is Luton Town’s manager. The 49-year-old former player from Gateshead took over at the club in May 2019, signing a three-year contract at the club.

Having completed his playing career at clubs such as Doncaster Rovers and Wigan Athletic, in March 2007 Jones joined recently-appointed Swansea City manager Roberto Martínez, following the Spaniard to Wigan Athletic in 2009, and later Everton in July 2013.

Jones took up coaching with Belgium’s national team – again with Martínez – in August 2016, before switching to West Bromwich Albion in August 2018, working for the first time as a coach without the Spaniard.

New signings Dion Sanders Brad Smiith and Albert Abomah are all in Neil Harris squad to travel to Luton

Last night's youngsters included?

Last night's youngsters included?

Last night's youngsters included?

I would like to think so, not heard anything yet.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Cardiff City: Smithies, Peltier, Nelson, Morrison, Bennett, Bacuna, Pack, Whyte, Hoilett, Tomlin, Glatzel

I am right in thinking we are playing players that are not registered with us anymore

I think we’ll win. Not looking forward to the trip though, utter shit hole of a place.

I think we will either blow a decent lead or we will go behind within the first 15 minutes and then scrape an equaliser right at the end.

Going for a draw.

Hope it’s a win we’d have a lot more chance of one with Pack and Flint sat in the stands.

No Joe Ralls

Neil Harris:

"Not this weekend, the glute. You don’t really get glute injuries. I’m desperate to work with him and see him on the pitch. He won’t be available for Saturday or maybe next Wednesday. Another two and a half weeks missed, so it’s frustrating for Joe."

Chairman and chief exec - tight financial constraints?

NEIL HARRIS:

"I was aware, when i came here, the finances were not available and I wasn’t going to be able to spend millions in January."

"I think realistically we have cut the squad and rebuild before the end of the season. It’s looking at rebuilding the group and going again next season."

"They want to bring down the average age of the squad and give opportunities to the young lads coming through. I want to win and be in the top six. The club has had some nice success over the last seven or eight years."

"I want to push the top end of the Championship to get back into the Premier League. It’s about on the pitch and on the pitch, building for the future. Our fans want to see XI homegrown players. Trying to get players to come through and show the passion like the other night."

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2-1 to city ...

Hopefully NH will start Bagan and Murphy on the left again and stick Tomlin in too with Patterson up top

Would love to see what this 11 could do

Smithies

Smith/ jazz Mozza. Nelson. Bagan

Pack Bacuna

Tomlin

Adomah Murphy

Paterson

Bench: Etheridge, Bennet, Bamba, Flint, Glatzel, Sang, Whyte, Ward. (Any of these 5)

We should win.

However, Luton are fighting for their survival in the Championship and I wonder whether our players will show the same level of desire.

I feel that the season is just slipping into mediocrity - no danger of relegation, little chance of promotion.

Luton could give a first start to on-loan Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, with Sonny Bradley a doubt.

Winger Callum McManaman has overcome a hamstring strain, but Brendan Galloway, Eunan O'Kane and Danny Hylton miss out.

Albert Adomah is set to make his Cardiff debut after joining on loan from Nottingham Forest on deadline day.

Dion Sanderson could also make his first appearance, having arrived from Wolves, and Lee Tomlin, Sean Morrison and Alex Smithies are set to return.

Luton v Cardiff C: Match facts

Luton haven't hosted Cardiff for a league match since New Year's Day in 2007, drawing 0-0 at Kenilworth Road.

Cardiff are looking to secure their first league double over Luton since the 1979-80 campaign.

Luton have lost 20 of their opening 30 league matches this season; 24 of the last 25 sides in England's top four tiers to lose at least 20 games at this stage have gone on to be relegated, with the exception being Dagenham and Redbridge in 2011-12 in League Two.

Cardiff have only lost two of their last 14 matches in the Championship (W5 D7), though they have both been away from home (vs Brentford and QPR).

Luton have made 632 defensive actions in the Championship this season, the fewest of any side in the competition.

Cardiff have had 51 sequences of at least 10 passes in open play this season, the fewest of any side in the Championship, and some 394 fewer than the team with the most - Fulham (445).

Neil Harris blue and white army three nil City

travelling up with me son

Draw

Defeat we rarely do well at Luton

I think we will either blow a decent lead or we will go behind within the first 15 minutes and then scrape an equaliser right at the end.

Going for a draw.

Hope it’s a win we’d have a lot more chance of one with Pack and Flint sat in the stands.

Try not to hedge your bets

The early Luton Town vs Cardiff City team news as Bluebirds star still ruled out and new signing a doubt

The Bluebirds face a trip to Luton this afternoon to face the Championship's bottom side and there will likely be a new face or two for the visitors

Cardiff City will once again be without Joe Ralls for this afternoon's trip to Kenilworth Road, while one of their January signings is also a doubt.

Ralls has endured a torrid few months with injury, starting just one game since Neil Harris took over back in November.

He has suffered a broken hand, which sidelined him after the Leeds game in December, and his most recent issue, a problem with his glute muscle, has kept him out of the last couple of matches.

Neil Harris said on Thursday the midfielder will not be involved this weekend, with the home clash with Wigan at the end of next week the most likely return date.

In more positive news, the City boss said all three new signings, Brad Smith, Dion Sanderson and Albert Adomah, are available for selection this weekend.

None of them were eligible for the FA Cup fourth round replay match with Reading this week, owing to the fact they were not Cardiff City players at the time of the first leg.

But while all three are available, Harris curbed expectations when it came to the left back Smith.

"Brad Smith is the one who has not played as much football as everybody else," Harris said in the build-up to this match.

"He's the one who might need a little bit of time to get up to speed."


Cardiff City left back Brad Smith (Image: Cardiff City)
However, he was far more positive when speaking about his other two signings.

"Albert, as we know, has been involved in every Championship game for Forest this season," the manager added.

"Dion is a naturally fit young lad.

"Albert is a little bit older and brings the knowledge, experience and goalscoring knack from a wide area. He is also a very fit lad as well.

"The other two, Brad and Dion, are modern-day full backs that go up and down, are quick and direct.

"They are fit lads and they have gone energy and training has gone through the roof with the three of them in.

"All three are fit. Are they quite ready for match-day starting? We will find out at three o'clock on Saturday."

Elsewhere, we could likely see Josh Murphy retain his spot on the left wing after his stellar display against Reading on Tuesday night.

The 24-year-old scored twice and appeared to be brimming with confidence, which could very well see him displace Junior Hoilett, who started the last Championship match.

The centre backs will likely swap over from the FA Cup defeat, with Sean Morrison and Curtis Nelson replacing Sol Bamba and Aden Flint, while it remains to be seen whether Neil Etheridge will be ousted for Alex Smithies.

Callum Paterson's goalscoring form is difficult to ignore and, with Danny Ward having more of an impact off the bench this season, it seems a straight shootout between the Scot and Robert Glatzel up front.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Matthew Connolly, Isaac Vassell and Greg Cunningham are the long-term absentees.

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I’m sure the team are so motivated after hearing that Harris is planning for trimming his squad for next season’s championship campaign already.

I fear if we lost today that would turn a lot more fans off harris, even the
give him time brigade would surely be on the turn.

Surely all the Harris fanatics are seeing nothing other than a win against bottom of the league?

Graeme Jones Luton' side have won just one of their last 11 fixtures in all competitions and Harris will be desperate to kick-start a winning run in Bedfordshire.

Long-term absentees Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Matthew Connolly, Isaac Vassell and Greg Cunningham remain out.