The Hatters are back in Sky Bet Championship action tomorrow afternoon as they take on Birmingham City at Kenilworth Road.
Town are at home for the first time in 2020 looking for a fifth home league win of the campaign, which would secure a valuable three points as they look to move off the bottom of the second tier.
Having started the campaign relatively well, the Blues are without a win in their last six Championship matches – having last picked up three points away at Reading at the beginning of December.
International supporters will be able to stream and follow the game at Kenilworth Road live on iFollow Hatters. Subscribers can also tune into Simon Pitts’ full match commentary.
Graeme Jones said:
(Please note these quotes are taken from Graeme’s press conference on Friday)
On struggling for results over Christmas: "I would say that there's five games in 14 days and it's impossible to repeat the same level. We had a three game week where I kept the same team against Leeds, Charlton and Brentford and we all know the final outcome of the final fixture that week.
"I would say that the three game weeks, if I am looking at the evidence, we struggle to handle, we have lost most points in those weeks when the games are once a week and we prepare well for them. The boys are fresh going into them, we are always competitive, I can't think of one where we haven't been.
"If you talk about the robustness of the Championship and the saturation - people say it's the most competitive league in the world, it is that test of three games in seven days. So that's been difficult, I have had to refresh it at times, I have not wanted to, that's why I made such a stance on not changing the team and the tactics in the same week, but the findings sadly were over three games in seven days, we could do it for two, we couldn't do it for three."
On Birmingham: "They are exactly what we have seen in October, I mean he can obviously change it, 4-4-2, robust. Jutkiewicz is a handful. They have a competitive press.
"I think they are a good Championship team, I think they are a very competitive Championship team and like everything now, we are 26 games in and know nothing is going to be easy."
Who?
Relegated from the Premier League in 2011 after two seasons in the top-flight, Birmingham have been in the Championship ever since.
The Blues however, did win the Carling Cup final during that campaign after beating favourites Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. That was the second time they have lifted the League Cup trophy having also won it in 1963, after defeating main rivals Aston Villa.
When and where?
Kick-off is 3pm at Kenilworth Road on Saturday 11th January 2020.
Man in the middle?
Graham Scott is usually refereeing in the Premier League, but will take charge of his third Championship fixture of the campaign tomorrow. Incidentally, one of his previous two so far this season was the Town’s 3-0 home win over Bristol City. In total, he has overseen 16 games, dishing out 53 yellow cards and four red cards.
Family activitites
- The Hatters Hideout – FIFA 20, table football, board games and arts and crafts are just a few items to enjoy in our family room.
- Outside FamilyZone – new for season 19/20, our outside family zone has been renovated to create a place for families to eat and play games. It is also home to our Happy Harry Shack, which sells a range of refreshments and pocket money retail items.
- Library Scheme – new for season 19/20, Junior Hatters can sign up to our free library scheme, with access to a range of new and used books.
- Happy Harry Lunch Bags – available for pre-order so lunch is all sorted ahead of the game!
- Ispy Sheets – there are two versions of ispy sheets for our Junior Hatters to try and complete on their visit to Kenilworth Stadium. Ispy sheets can be found in the Hatters Hideout or are available to download via the Junior Hatters webpage.
Ticket information
Tickets for this fixture are sold out.
Played before?
The two sides met at St Andrews earlier on in the season, where the Hatters suffered a 2-1 defeat.
Despite having the superior all-time record and the recent success, Birmingham haven’t won at Kenilworth Road in their last five matches – a record which dates back to 1985.
Follow the action
The main blow-by-blow account of the action from Kenilworth Road will be provided via the Match Centre on the club website, which you can access by clicking here.
The main moments from the game will appear on the Hatters’ social media feeds:
Twitter – @LutonTown
Facebook – www.facebook.com/LutonTown/
Instagram – www.instagram.com/ltfc_official/