Boss relishing Town challenge
Manager John Still is revelling in the expectancy level of being in charge at Kenilworth Road.
The Town travel to Southport on Saturday for the opening game of the Skrill Premier season buoyed by an excellent pre-season.
With expectation high of a successful season as the campaign draws ever nearer, the Hatters boss admitted he is prepared to deal with the hype.
“When people say about supporters expectations, I actually like that it’s like that,” he said at his first pre-match press conference of the season in his office at Kenilworth Road on Friday.
“One of the reasons I came was because of the expectations. I think it’s important that players can handle expectation and what supporters have to understand a little bit, whoever you are, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea, they all want to win the league.
“They’re all big clubs, and Luton are at the level, a good sized club, so are the Grimsbys and Wrexhams who have been Football League clubs, so you have to put it all in context.
“But I like the expectation and say to the players, if you can’t handle and deal with that, don’t play for this club – go and play for a small club.
“Don’t play for what could potentially be a very, very big club, because you’re never going to do it.
“If you come to a club where this is a big expectation, you’ve got to be prepared to deal with it, I’m prepared to deal with it, I love it.
“When we lost to Hyde last season, supporters were on the side, moaning about it, if I’d have been a supporter, I’d have been moaning as well, because there’s an expectation and it’s expectation that drives me.
“If you’re not successful the crowd aren’t happy, if you are successful they are going to be delighted – let’s make them delighted.”