Luton Town vs Rotherham Utd match preview: Form, h2h and score prediction

So the Nathan Jones era is officially over, again.

It’s ironic that Jones’ second spell as Hatters manager came to an end after defeat at Stoke City on Tuesday night, the club for which he left Luton in January 2019.

Back then, there was a feeling of bitterness towards Jones for the way in which he left the club and the subsequent League One Manager of the Month pictures that surfaced with Jones wearing his new Stoke City tracksuit.

This time, the general feeling amongst Hatters fans is different.

There is no arguing that we have progressed once again since Jones returned in May 2020. After masterminding a miraculous escape from relegation at the end of the 2019-20 season, Jones guided the club to a 12th place finish in 2020-21 with a little help from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, before reaching the Championship Play-Off semi-final last season. All whilst working with one of the lowest budgets in the Championship.

With the above in mind, it’s hard to criticise Nathan’s decision to accept a managerial role in the Premier League. It’s an opportunity for him to go up against the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, fulfilling a life-long ambition of working in the richest and most watched league in world football.

During a week of speculation and upheaval, one thing that will always stay a constant at Luton Town is Mick Harford.

It has been confirmed that Big Mick will take charge of Saturday’s fixture against Rotherham United who, coincidentally, are the only other team Harford has managed on a permanent basis.

The Opposition

Rotherham have certainly surprised a few so far this season, none more so than Sheffield United who suffered a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of the Millers on Tuesday night.

Wins against Reading, Birmingham, Blackpool, Huddersfield and Stoke have been backed up by respectable points against Swansea, QPR and Watford, to leave them comfortably in mid-table.

Players to watch out for

Dan Barlaser is a consistent performer for Rotherham in the centre of midfield. Whether as a holding midfielder in Matt Taylor’s preferred 3-1-4-2 formation, or operating further forward in a 5-4-1, Barlaser has a creative spark and has contributed 12 goals and 12 assists since the start of last season.

Peter Kioso joined the Millers from Luton for an undisclosed fee in the summer and will be well known to most.

Prediction

Although this week has seen the departure of our manager, assistant manager and first-team coach, there will be continuity in the dugout in the form of Mick Harford. It’s well documented that Harford is a regular at training and knows the players inside out, having recruited the majority over the years.

With that in mind, I see no reason why the players shouldn’t be fully focused on the task at hand and deliver 3 points before we head into the World Cup break.

Luton 3-1 Rotherham

Date – 12th November 2022

Kick off – 15:00

Venue – Kenilworth Road, Luton

Head to Head record (previous 8 matches)

Luton Town 2 wins – 3 draws – Rotherham Utd 3 wins

Date Result Competition

02 Sep 2000 Rotherham United v Luton Town D 1-1 League Division 2

24 Apr 2001 Luton Town v Rotherham United L 0-1 League Division 2

20 Sep 2008 Rotherham United v Luton Town L 1-0 League Two

31 Mar 2009 Luton Town v Rotherham United L 2-4 League Two

28 Nov 2009 Rotherham United v Luton Town D 2-2 FA Cup

08 Dec 2009 Luton Town v Rotherham United W 3-0 FA Cup

04 Nov 2020 Rotherham United v Luton Town W 0-1 League Championship

04 May 2021 Luton Town v Rotherham United D 0-0 League Championship