“Horrible" – Rob Edwards makes honest Luton Town admission after Derby County win | OneFootball

Rob Edwards wasn’t happy with Luton Town’s performance despite heroic late show at Kenilworth Road

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards has said he understands the ‘difficult atmosphere’ inside Kenilworth Road following his side’s 2-1 win against Derby County.

The promoted Rams opened the scoring through Kayden Jackson, with a goal that looked to be the decider for long periods of the game.

This prompted boos and jeers from the home crowd, dissatisfied with what has been served up to them so far this season, leaving them marooned in midtable as we approach the halfway point in the season.

However, two late goals from Thomas Holmes and Carlton Morris, both just a few minutes before the full-time whistle, saw Kenilworth Road erupt, and prevented tempers spilling over at full-time.

Rob Edwards understands ‘difficult’ atmosphere

After the game, despite the jubilant final scenes, Hatters boss Edwards recognised it wasn’t all celebrations.

“We’re not exactly playing how we want to,” he said after the game, as quoted by Luton Today. “It’s not exactly how we want it to look, it was horrible to watch, horrible to watch.

“I felt it as well, so I can understand why there would be a difficult atmosphere, but we found a way.

“They did [handle it well] and I was pleased with that as it could be difficult. This place, I’d love everyone to just keep believing all the time and hopefully they will with the last couple of results now, keep believing and keep backing the lads, but we need to win games and then people will be happy.”

Luton Town’s problem is evident

Although it was the home atmosphere that drew comments from Edwards in this case, it is clear that the Hatters’ showings away from Kenilworth Road are to blame for their difficult start to the season.

On home results alone, Luton are mixing it near the top of the table, challenging for a place in the play-offs, which would be acceptable were that reflective of the actual table.

That’s in stark contrast to the club’s fortunes away from home, where, when accounting for just those games away from Kenilworth Road, the club are down with the relegation battlers.

They’ve picked up just four points on the road, representing one win and a draw — it’s clear that this is the area they need to work on to have a better second half of the season.

The Hatters' aim at the start of the season would, naturally, have been promotion back to the Premier League, given that they put up a decent fight in the top flight.

It quickly became apparent that they were not going to be one of the early chasing pack, and a route back to the top of the table now looks difficult.

They sit around 10 or so points adrift from the play-off contenders, so not an insurmountable deficit, but it would take some strong form in the latter part of the campaign, and it’s far from certain the Hatters are up for that fight.

One thing that will be important is the backing of the Kenilworth Road faithful but, as Edwards noted, the burden is on the Hatters to give them something to cheer about.