4 observations made as Luton Town draw with Sunderland

Luton Town played out a 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland yesterday afternoon, with the Hatters yet again struggling after netting the first goal.

Carlton Morris netted on the stroke of half time, turning in from Alfie Doughty’s cross on the right flank, with Sunderland’s equaliser coming courtesy of Elliot Embleton, with the midfielder converting from Jack Clarke’s pull-back.

Here, are four observations made during yesterday’s draw with the Black Cats…

Instant reaction

The Hatters started the game off ferociously yesterday afternoon, with it being an excellent reaction after was such a poor showing against Watford last weekend.

Not only did the hosts win the majority of battles across the pitch, but they also managed to carve open the Sunderland defence.

Of course, Sunderland worked their way into the game and caused a lot of problems, particularly in the second half, but there was certainly a response to what an incredibly poor day in Hertfordshire last time out.

Alfie Doughty

Luton fans had to be patient to catch Alfie Doughty in action in Luton colours but he is certainly justifying his price tag in just a few glimpses.

A direct runner with the ball at his feet, a combination of his pace and positivity in possession has made him a different kind of threat to what the Hatters have in their arsenal.

Able to create on the right and the left, the exciting element in all of this is the potential for him to continue improving.

The Henri Lansbury dilemma

Interestingly, Henri Lansbury has emerged as one of the most vital components within this Luton team this season, and there was a noticeable momentum shift when the midfielder was forced off after 30 minutes yesterday.

Now, a lot of criticism was directed Luke Freeman’s way as a result but it was much more than that.

Freeman slotted in next to Allan Campbell as a two when he came on, with Jordan Clark holding the midfield, and that is where the biggest issues came about.

As a ball carrier, Clark is excellent in the midfield, but when nullifying the threat of intelligent attacking players who take up narrow pockets between the defence and the midfield, that is where he will struggle, and that is exactly what happened.

Expectations

Naturally, expectations are high at Kenilworth Road, given the continued success that the club have seen under Nathan Jones.

However, amidst the continued progression, it is easy to overlook that Luton still possess one of the smallest budgets in the division and are now coming up against sides who are better equipped to deal with a style of play that caused all sorts of havoc last time out.

Lofty expectations can of course be a positive thing, but ultimately, the club is still moving forward in a positive direction.