Despite scoring four goals against Newcastle United on Saturday, Match of the Day commentator Garth Crooks felt that Luton’s 4-4 draw at St James’ Park raised’massive concerns’ about the Hatters’ chances of remaining in the Premier League this season.
Crooks had two rounds of top flight matches to choose from when selecting his, frankly laughable, team of the week for the BBC, as Luton claimed four points out of six from a 4-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, and were involved in one of the games of the season at Newcastle United, which toed-and-froed throughout a pulsating 90 minutes before finishing all square.
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However, it wasn’t quite enough for victory, United boss Eddie Howe ringing the changes to bring on £40m signing Harvey Barnes for his first appearance in over four months following a lengthy injury, plus exciting wing back Tino Livramento, as England international Kieran Trippier made it 4-3 moments later, Barnes almost immediately pulling the Magpies level.
Town then clung on in over 10 minutes of stoppage time, almost winning it themselves, as the result earned Rob Edwards’ side plenty of plaudits from the national media, while they also climbed out of the bottom three in the process. Meanwhile, any of the 52,211 fans who were at the game, from either team, could only have left impressed by the manner a newly-promoted side went about tackling a side who had beaten beaten Paris St-Germain, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United on home soil this season, leaving the contest with optimism about the Hatters chances of staying up.
Not for Crooks though, who despite begrudgingly picking Adebayo for his XI, still somehow found a way to be critical of Luton’s efforts on the afternoon, despite the Hatters now sitting fourth in the Premier League form table for the last six games, winning three, drawing two and losing one to claim 11 points from 18, scoring 15 goals along the way.
Barely able to muster any credit at all for Rob Edwards’ side, he said: “Their 4-0 defeat at Luton was a Brighton horror show. It started badly and got progressively worse for the Seagulls. Elijah Adebayo scored a hat-trick and was Luton’s hero on the night, and retained his goalscoring form against Newcastle in their following fixture.
“I had consigned Luton to the scrapheap months ago but their season has suddenly become interesting. Tom Lockyer’s return to the club after his cardiac arrest this season certainly galvanised his team-mates against Brighton, and they seemed to carry that momentum into the Newcastle fixture. However, when a team scores four goals away from home they are not just expected to win, they are entitled to win. The mere fact Luton scored four goals and still failed to take all three points raises massive questions about their ability to remain in the league.”
With Gabe Osho starring in the victory over Brighton, also playing well at Newcastle, Ross Barkley another who was terrific in both matches, along with Chiedozie Ogbene, Crooks looked past that trio for a place in his side, although did somehow pick Magpies defender Fabian Schar, while having yet another pop at the Hatters, adding: “He had a much more difficult time however against Luton in a 4-4 thriller at St James’ Park four days later. Newcastle conceded four goals but collected four points from two games and came from behind twice against the Hatters. Newcastle held their nerve and produced a result having been 4-2 down while Luton caved in, the reason I still think they won’t survive.”
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