Luton v Burnley Match Thread

[AfloatinClaret]

Having soundly beaten (away) the only side that we'll meet in the league this season who finished above us in the last one, I would suggest that anyone who is critical of anything other than the sloppy goal we conceded and Connor Roberts' moustache should be banned from the board.

[Dark Cloud]

Brilliant tonight, but if there's one worry it has to be how many of our best players will still be here come September? With the squad as it is it would be surely be ours to lose at this level.

[claretskeith]

Brilliant tonight, but if there's one worry it has to be how many of our best players will still be here come September? With the squad as it is it would be surely be ours to lose at this level.

Please stop worrying.

We're ok.

[IanMcL]

But this is a thread about tonight’s game…..

Well I answered a post, on the thread, somewhere!

[BigGaz]

It's slightly paradoxical and bittersweet that really the likes of Traff, Odobert, Koleosho and perhaps one or two others that I can't think of right now are exactly the sort of players that would have benefited from a season in this league with a decent passing side with all the confidence and experiences that it would have brought, as opposed to being on a hiding to nothing like they were.

Difficult though isn't it? If you're a Chelsea or a City you might spend 15m on a hot prospect and never see them again. With us they have to start. Ho hum.

[warksclaret]

We must keep O Shea unless someone wants to give us more than we got for Chris Wood. I think a season in the Championship along Esteve could make him a very special defender

[PremierLeagueClass]

I feel really connected to the players

Brilliant

[Elizabeth]

Brilliant tonight, but if there's one worry it has to be how many of our best players will still be here come September? With the squad as it is it would be surely be ours to lose at this level.

The feel good factor tonight couldn't be better for the likes of Trafford, Weghorst and Vithinho.

[123EasyasBFC]

Brilliant tonight, but if there's one worry it has to be how many of our best players will still be here come September? With the squad as it is it would be surely be ours to lose at this level.

If any club wants any of the players that played tonight their value just increased

[Wembley09]

That Pires looks a class act, so calm and skillfull on the ball.

I was gutted Charlie left, but I feel abit better now (seeing as it was only one game) but damn, first performance in a Championship away game.. what a solid performance

[Clarky]

We must keep O Shea unless someone wants to give us more than we got for Chris Wood. I think a season in the Championship along Esteve could make him a very special defender

We must keep O Shea he is a leader on the pitch immense tonight organisthe defence

[AfloatinClaret]

... if there's one worry it has to be how many of our best players will still be here come September...

Based on tonight's performance we could lose a few players and still get promoted and some of those players we might have to sell have surely added a couple of million each to their value this evening.
Beyond all of the big stuff a highlight for me this evening was watching James Trafford hit a long ball immediately from the kickoff, that must've disrupted Luton's game plan in an instant.

[Rileybobs]

That was a superb performance. Always a worry going into a new season with a lot of unknowns, a similar feeling as before Kompany's first game in charge at Huddersfield which was also mightily impressive. This one feels even more so as we were facing last season's highest placed team, and also because Luton's biggest strengths are undoubtedly our weaknesses. Not sure what I was worried about now.

From the off we pressed high with such intensity, our players looked so much faster and fitter than theirs, and this is an opposition who were competing in the Premier League last season. I have no doubt now that we'll absolutely blow some of the weaker teams away this season.

Our passing was sharp and incisive and there was a plan as soon as the ball went to the full back, someone came short to offer and drag a marker and someone ran in behind, and they just couldn't deal with our pace. It really makes me wonder why we didn't set up to counter-attack last season. Notable how less isolated our defenders were and how we restricted Luton to minimal good chances.

We'll have a lot of different tests, and there will be more teams that sit back and look to hit us than there will to play a high line like Luton did tonight. But we seem to have so many weapons in our armoury.

I don't want to have to bring this back to Kompany, but this is the first time in a while where we seem to have adapted specifically to the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, rather than playing the same formulaic style.

Pleased this one is out of the way because I wasn't overly confident, lets back it up with a win at Turf Moor on Saturday and get that feel good factor back!

[Boss Hogg]

Some excellent performances all over the pitch. Some assists of real quality and we dug in when we had to. Parker utilising the squad and clearly knows what he’s doing. If Berge goes we really need to hold on to the likes of Odobert and OShea. Thought Vitinho and Pires were outstanding too.

[CoolClaret]

They're properly sh1tting it down the m65.

[summitclaret]

Just been reflecting on last night's formation and the genius way in which Vitineo was used. He's not really a full back or winger and before last night, I wouldn't have had him starting. However, in what I would say was a 433, we had an extra man in midfield, which enabled us to use both Odebert and Kolo as flexible wide attackers. Thus playing to their strengths as well. Last season we surrendered cm every game, by having 4 attackers.