Good News and Bad News...

As the old jokes go, there's good news and bad news. It seems par for the course as a Luton Town fan!


Since last week's column, we have seen a debacle of a performance at Forest Green and another two points lost at the death of a game on Saturday against Grimsby. However, while it may not be the action many fans wanted, we have seen some reaction from the boardroom after Forest Green and an improved performance by the team generally on Saturday.


The issues of Gary Sweet's programme notes has been eruditely and thoughtfully dealt with by David Mosque in his latest column, and I agree with most of his observations. I should just like to point out that since my column last weekend, I had received a few comments disagreeing that there had been an anti-2020/anti-Gary Sweet shift in recent weeks by what I like to call normal fans. By that I mean without a hidden agenda, and I was disappointed that said normal fans were being swayed by the 'agenda people'. Well, after the equalising goal went in on Saturday I think the volcano erupted and proved my point. The lid came off the box and a large number of posters on various sites have vented their frustrations at 2020/GS.


Yes, 2020 have to take some responsibility, because it has become apparent that some decisions have proven to be less great than they seemed. However, they were made based on the best knowledge available at the time and were not all made by one person, so it is inherently unfair to point the finger at one person in Gary Sweet. Gary has stated publicly the feelings of himself and the board and I know for a fact that similar feelings have been stated before directly to the concerned individuals in private, but despite a short rally in results, things have again reverted to how they were before that run, culminating in Gary's public comments.


I have stated recently that changing the manager at this time last season did not have the desired result and even were that the course of action desired by the board, it is imperative that any new appointment is a good one. Last season we were nailed on for the play-offs at the time of the change of manager and it allowed Gary Brabin to tinker with the playing style and blend of players looking for the best option to use in the play-offs. It oh so nearly worked and but for a very poor decision by Jason Walker to be too clever taking his kick and our leading goalscorer not having the confidence to take one himself we may have found ourselves promoted.


This season however, any new manager coming in at this point would not have the luxury of time to look at the team and not worry about results as we are by no means certain of a play-off spot. If the decision were made now to change the manager and then we failed to make the play-offs I'm sure that would then be seen as the board's fault, so they would be damned if they did and damned if they didn't. I don't know what decisions in that regard will be made but I'm glad I don't have to make them! Everyone has their opinion and we are all entitled to them, but we don't have to be damned by our opinions if they proved to be disastrous.


I have also been accused of being a mouthpiece for 2020 and even in one case as actually being Gary Sweet! I can assure you that neither is the case. I am an acquaintance of Gary and one or two others within the club and I have always found Gary and previously others no longer in active roles in the club as genuine and honest people who are, like us, supporters of Luton Town FC, and always willing to discuss matters that they are able to discuss, and sharing our frustrations when things do not go as desired. I happen to believe not only in their aims for the club but also their efforts in trying to balance pushing for success with working within our means so we don't become extinct as a club, which is a difficult job. None of these people deserve the personal criticism and in many cases downright libellous abuse they receive. In fact, there are some people out there who are very lucky that Gary and some board members are as good natured as they are and have not in some cases sued the people responsible for some of the outrageous allegations made against them despite the erroneous belief that by adding the word allegedly might make them bulletproof!


There are also many different views on the appointment of Lil Fucillo as an Associate Director in the role of Technical Director and I understand that the 3CR commentators used the term 'manager-in-waiting'. I would doubt that is the case for several reasons. Firstly, I can remember writing in a column at the time of his previously joining the club, "Lil Fucillo only came to the club about six weeks ago as a scout, next thing you know he's a coach, then Assistant Manager and now Manager. At this rate of progress he'll be Chairman by Friday week!" However, that didn't happen and his tenure was a short one. I last spoke to Lil when he was Manager at Wootton Blue Cross when I refereed a match in the UCL between Wootton and Daventry. I remember observing that he seemed too nice a guy to be a Manager after hearing his team talk before the game when the most aggressive thing he said to them was about me. He said, " You've had him before and you know that if you open your mouth he'll shut it for you. If you get a booking for a late tackle that's one thing but don't expect the club to pay fines if you get booked for dissent!"  I was happy with that, my job was half done, perhaps he could have a word with Mark Tyler! :-)  Secondly, he has stated he doesn't want to be Manager, and thirdly Gary Sweet has stated what he will be doing and managing did not seem to be part of his remit. I agree with David Mosque that it appears the board lacks someone who has a background in many areas of football and I believe he is seen as a fresh pair of eyes to see the problems and advise solutions. That may indeed include assessing all the personnel from manager downwards including the players.


I am as unhappy at the current state of the club, football wise, as the fans, the board and everyone else associated with the club, but it may not be a time for kneejerk reactions. It can be argued that different decisions could have been made and done earlier, but it is what it is now and whatever decisions are made by the board will have my support, as will the team, but that doesn't mean I won't be critical when the team doesn't put in a shift as they clearly did not on Tuesday night.


On the good news front, the team played much better against Grimsby and Andre Gray looks sharp, quick and has an eye for getting into good positions. I sincerely hope that negative team selection and lack of service that can bring does not knock those attributes out of him. I don't know if it is fear for his job or just his basic nature as a manager, but it seems that all too often Gary Brabin is scared of losing a match and sets his team up to be hard to beat rather than going all out for victory. Indeed, he may not even realise it, but it seems apparent enough to me and many other supporters. Personal abuse is not the way to vent our frustrations, I'm sure he is a personable man, but if he cannot deliver a team selection to win a game with the players up for it, then he is not the man for the job and sooner or later he will pay the price with his job. That decision and the timing of it if/when it comes, is not ours. We must let those in charge do their jobs and hope that we can sneak into and through the play-offs to League 2. If that doesn't happen then I am sure the picture as a whole will have been assessed and a new plan set in place for another concerted effort next season, but let's not give up on this year yet. Let us concentrate on lifting the players to perform. If we believe others are not doing their jobs in our quest for promotion let us not be found wanting in doing ours.