Boss hoping for bouncebackability
The Town host their Play-Off semi-final victims of the past two season on Saturday but manager Paul Buckle knows Wrexham will be no pushovers as his side look to bounce back from last week’s defeat at Alfreton.
“They finished 19 points above us last year, they’re a very good side, they’re in good form so it’s a tough game,” Buckle told the media at his press conference on Thursday.
“However, they’re all very tough games for different reasons as we found last week and they’ll know how hard it’ll be for them from coming to us in the Play-Offs last season.
“When we’re on our game and we’ve got everybody running then we’re more than a match for anyone.
“It’s a big game for both clubs, the players are fully aware of the size of the game and we look forward to playing at Kenilworth Road because the last two outings have been great.”
The last time the two sides met at Kenilworth Road last season the Hatters triumphed 2-0 thanks to goals from Andre Gray and Stuart Fleetwood.
That was then and this is now and Buckle is hoping for more of the same against the Red Dragons as the Town look to build on their decent start to the campaign.
“That was some night,” he said. “I think both teams have moved on both in personnel on and off the field but both are playing similar shapes and similar attacking football, they always come for the win and that suited us last time as it was a very open game and we could easily have gone four or five up.
“We still have to concentrate on ourselves now. I’ve seen loads of things I really like from the team this season and we’ve put a lot of points on the board, I don’t think I’m wrong in saying it’s the best start Luton have made in the first eight games at this level and we’re proud of that, we put those stats across to the players on Monday.
“I’m sure I’m right in saying that Crawley and Fleetwood from their first eight games didn’t have the return that we’ve had so we mustn’t get too down on a defeat.
“I said before when we lost at home that I have total faith in the players and it’s a long, long season where you have to stick together through the ups and the downs.
“The players have taken on board what we’ve said and we’re looking forward to this game.”
The Town will be able to call upon strikers Jon Shaw, Scott Rendell and Stuart Fleetwood on Saturday and Buckle can’t wait to see the trio back in action, especially Shaw who returns after serving a three-match suspension.
“Hopefully I’ll have everybody to choose from,” he said. “Last week was a problem, this week with Jon Shaw coming back and Fleetwood and Rendell fit, it gives us a lot more options.
“Jon’s a selfless player he’s made goals for us and he can score goals as well, we’re really happy to have him back. I think last week we missed both Rendell and Shaw’s presence which also makes Fleetwood and Gray different players.
“It’s going to be a tight league, already we’ve seen different leaders at the top, I’m just really keen to get our best eleven on the pitch that’s what every manager wants.
“We’ve had to change our back four and lots of other stuff and it’s not been ideal at all.”