Luton Town’s dreams became a reality last year, when the Hatters were promoted to the top flight of English football for the first time in the Premier League era. The Hatters climbed all the way from the Conference to the pinnacle in just a decade, but the Bedfordshire side’s stay in the Premier League was short-lived.
Luton put up a good fight given that many pundits and fans had tipped them to set a new lowest points record. However, safety ultimately eluded Rob Edwards’ men. Nonetheless, the Hatters remain hopeful of going straight back to the Premier League and are one of the favorites in the Championship promotion odds 24/25. That said, let’s take a look at four reasons why we believe that Luton can gain promotion straight back to the Premier League on their first attempt.
Rob Edwards’ tactical nous
Rob Edwards hasn’t exactly gained the same level of attention as the likes of Kieran McKenna or Vincent Kompany, who surprisingly got a move to Bayern Munich this summer despite finishing rock bottom of the Premier League with Burnley last season.
However, he is still a young manager growing in stature with each passing campaign, and he has overachieved thus far in the dugout at Kenilworth Road. The former Welsh international knows what it takes to successfully navigate Luton to promotion, winning the play-offs a couple of seasons ago, and he will have a well-thought-out plan to get the club back to the promised land.
Forward-thinking in previous transfer windows
There was always a sense that Luton spent their Premier League windfall money wisely, with Edwards looking to build a side capable of competing in the Championship again this season rather than one would see them stay afloat in the top flight. Players like Tahith Chong, who arrived from Birmingham City, Danish center-back Mads Andersen, and Belgium international Thomas Kaminski are all top-class Championship-level players and are well-placed to help Luton’s promotion bid.
Current window business
While the Luton board certainly won’t be able to splash £25 million this summer like they did last year, Edwards is no stranger to working with shoe-string budgets and has already taken advantage of a couple of free transfers. 19-year-old right-back Reuell Walters looks like a fantastic addition to the Bedfordshire side. The England U-20 international turned down a new contract from the Gunners and shot down interest from other Premier League and European sides to sign for the Hatters.
Shandon Baptiste, who made over 50 appearances for Brentford in the Premier League over the last three seasons, also bolsters Luton’s midfield with Ross Barkley departing Kenilworth Road for a return to Aston Villa after rejuvenating his career last season. The £5m received for Barkley, as well as the £5m for Ryan Giles from Hull City, could give Edwards some ammunition in the market, but it remains to be seen how much the board will allocate for further transfers.
A well-adept squad
While it was unlikely Barkley was going to hang around for a season in the Championship, Edwards has made it clear he’s in no rush to sell any more of his first-team stars. Therefore, many of the key players who helped guide Luton to the Premier League a couple of seasons ago could still wear orange next season.
That includes talisman Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris, Gabriel Osho, Alfie Doughty, Marvelous Nakamba and Amari’i Bell. These players not only have experience of winning the play-offs, but have now had a taste of Premier League football and will be desperate to return to the top-flight.
If Luton can combine these factors into another successful season, then there’s every chance they will prevail on their status as one of the favorites for promotion in the Championship bet markets.
