Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere wants his players to face Barnsley without fear as he attempts to lift them after Saturday’s defeat at MK Dons. The Hatters have a short turnaround to address both their costly errors and the frustration voiced by their travelling supporters.
Tuesday’s home fixture follows a 2-1 loss in which Luton registered 25 shots but only five on target. Speaking after the game, Wilshere said his side should have won and questioned their quality when opportunities opened up around the penalty area.
Missed Opportunities Cost Luton Town At Stadium MK
Jordan Clark’s 70th-minute equaliser had cancelled out Alex Gilbey’s long-range opener, leaving Luton with 20 minutes to pursue a winner. Instead, George Johnston allowed Aaron Collins through before fouling him, with Collins converting the resulting penalty nine minutes after Clark’s goal.
Wilshere felt his team had improved after the interval, having addressed their approach to second balls at half-time. However, he identified problems with the movement and finishing that followed their deliveries into the area.
“When we did put it in the box, we probably didn’t attack the right spaces. And when we did, and it fell to us, and we got an opportunity, we were a little bit wasteful.”
The manager also defended Johnston’s wider contribution, describing him as one of the team’s most consistent performers. His criticism of the decisive incident centred on the need to stay composed after the initial error and avoid following one mistake with another.
Wilshere Turns Attention To Players’ Confidence
More than 6,000 Luton supporters attended their club’s first visit to Stadium MK, with boos heard at half-time and full-time. A pass played 40 yards backwards during the first half also drew an unhappy response, and Wilshere admitted he had shared the frustration at that moment.
With another match approaching, he was asked how concerned he was about the reaction from the stands. He acknowledged the importance of the fixture to supporters before explaining his priority for the days ahead.
“My concern is for the players, that over the next few days, the job is to make sure that we put a team out that have no fear and we know what we’re going into. We know there’s some frustrations. Of course, I understand the importance of this game and I think the players did, so that’s probably why they’re frustrated as well. But my only concern is the ones who can’t cope with that.”
Wilshere explained that players respond differently to criticism, with some having more experience of those situations than others. He also acknowledged the familiar disappointment of missing an opportunity away from home and then needing to produce a response in the following fixture.
Luton’s shot count offers limited reassurance when only five attempts were on target. Against Barnsley, greater precision around the penalty area and better judgement in defence would do more to address supporters’ concerns than another afternoon of pressure without sufficient reward.
Protecting confidence is part of Wilshere’s job, particularly when his squad has little time to recover from a disappointing result. Tuesday gives his players an early opportunity to show they can handle that frustration and produce the improvement their manager is seeking.
