MATT BARLOW: Luton and Co aren’t an embarrassment to top flight. Survival is harder than ever for newly promoted teams in the Premier League
This year’s promoted sides make up three of the bottom four teams in the league
Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United have all struggled for points so far
Only once have three promoted teams to the top flight gone straight back down
With just nine points between them after eight games of the season, this is by some distance the worst start to a Premier League season by the trio of freshly promoted teams.
It does not bode well and has unleashed a torrent of ridicule across social media platforms, phone-in shows and opinion columns by those mortally offended by clubs refusing to sacrifice good sense and risk their long-term security for their armchair entertainment.
Former Tottenham forward Garth Crooks has been public enemy number one at Kenilworth Road since mid-September when he declared Luton ‘down by Christmas‘. Crooks has thus far declined an invitation from Hatters boss Rob Edwards to visit the club and take a closer look at how they operate.
Luton have four points and six goals from eight games, identical to Nottingham Forest at this stage last season, when the court of public opinion was slating their reckless spending spree
Forest escaped, promptly engaged in another summer of wild recruitment and continue to progress under an excellent manager, Steve Cooper. At this rate, they might avoid flirting with relegation this season. Although the auditors of Financial Fair Play will be paying close attention.
At Luton, they are doing things differently with good reason, and most fans are entirely on board with the approach. The majority stayed behind on Saturday to give Edwards and his players a rousing ovation despite losing to 10-man Spurs.
Ten years ago to the day, they were sharing six goals with Aldershot in the Conference, as nobody connected to the club needs reminding.
The identity and unity, the tight bonds created with supporters became the most precious assets as they mended a broken club and climbed back to the top.
‘We do not borrow or seek investment from those who have no interest in us or our community,’ as Luton’s chairman, David Wilkinson, put it on Saturday. ‘We spend the club’s income on the club and don’t expect an investment return.’
