Mood in the Hatters camp confident as usual says the boss
The Town might have recorded a first home league win and clean sheet last Saturday against Mansfield but John Still says his squad have been their usual selves in training this week.
The Hatters’ 1-0 victory over Stags might have had a nervy ending but that was to be expected for a side a touch fragile in confidence having conceded four last-minute goals to rob them of points already in League 2 this term.
So, after such a crucial win, has there been a difference in mood and confidence in the wake of that win as they prepare for Saturday’s game at Kenilworth Road against AFC Wimbledon?
“Not really,” Still said at his Thursday press conference. “I’ve not really noticed a difference. The group are always chirpy, cheerful, bright and competitive and it’s been no different this week.
“I think sometimes you seem a million miles away and then in the next game you’re bang on it, it’s there, the penny’s dropped. Like you’re at work in a new job and you can’t quite get things right and you come in one day and it all fits in to place.
“That is the case in football sometimes; you feel it’s not quite working and you can’t understand why and then the next game it’s there and it works.
“But I don’t feel it’s been that way for us this season so far. We’ve had some good bits and played some good football. The only thing we’ve struggled with is that we’ve found poor defending has cost us goals.”
The Town lie in 19th place in League 2 having taken eight points from eight games. But the Hatters aim to make it four wins in five games in all competitions against a Wimbledon side who did the double over Still’s side last season.
The manager has openly admitted his teams tend to start slow but Still believes the Hatters’ campaign has begun better than the last two campaigns.
“I actually think the team has played better at the start of this season than it has at the start of the other two seasons, that's my opinion,” he said.
“I don't know where it stands, our games to points ratio, in the three years as I don't really look but I wouldn't have thought it was that dissimilar.
“Certainly in some games I think we've played well but it's the level of consistency that we're looking to get to where you're confident in every aspect of your team.
“You're confident you can compete well enough and you're confident you can score goals and I think that's what gradually comes around.”
Watch the boss' Thursday press conference in HD in full on Hatters Player.