Town want to go up without needing the play-offs this term
Luton midfielder Jordan Clark has revealed Town’s players have been set the target of winning the c title by boss Rob Edwards this season.
The Hatters dropped back into the second tier after one year in the Premier League where they won a whole host of admirers for the way in which they tried to stay up despite suffering a crippling injury crisis during the second half of the campaign. They now return to a division in which they have enjoyed plenty of success recently, reaching the play-offs twice in succession, finishing third in the 2022-23 campaign and sixth the year before that.
Although Clark is one of a number of the squad still remaining who enjoyed an unforgettable day out at Wembley just over 12 months ago, scoring for Town and also on target in their penalty shoot-out win over Coventry City that led them to the giddy heights of the Premier League, he and his team-mates want avoid going through such tension to achieve their goal this time
The long-serving midfielder said: “(Our aim is) To win the league now, that’s what the gaffer has set us and it’s nice going up in the play-off final, but it would be nice to have a little bit less stress this time. We know we have a little target on our back now, especially from being in the Premier League last year. Teams are going to come and look to beat us, we’ve just got to embrace that as well and have that little bit of, I say arrogance, but confidence in a nice way and thinking we’ve got show these teams that we’ve improved from being in the top league and going out there and proving it on the pitch.
“Every game’s different in the Championship. You’re playing in dogfights half the time, you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and fight for the three points. There’ll be some games where it’ll be a proper football match, so we’ll experience it all this year and we know that. It’s try and keep everyone as fit as we can, touch wood, no injuries, the gaffer’s aim is to win the league, that’s what we’re thriving for.”
Town are third favourites with some bookies to do just that, although will face competition from the two other relegated sides in Burnley, who they face first up, and Sheffield United. It’s not just those clubs who have recent top flight experience though, as Clark knows there will be that bit more pressure on the Hatters to be challenging this term having experienced a season at the top table of English football.
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