Rated 20th in the Premier League
So Luton Town are the ultimate underdogs on FM24, this really appeals to me. Some think it was a bridge too far, I think they could have real success.
This is the next instalment of our ‘How to manage from ‘day one‘ series. These are small guides of what I look for on day one and start a new save on FM24. I will always include using the supporter and club objectives to build a foundation. I will also include a suggested tactic with an explanation using the squad page.
This guide is Luton Town, I always have an attachment to the underdogs of a league. I like to think it is because I want to take them from the bottom to the top, Luton Town are no exception. They have some wonderful players like Adebayo, Barkley and Giles. I think they have a bright future and in real life, they have some real spirit.
If you are interested then read on and we’ll take this journey together.
Luton Town Objectives
On first impressions the board are not too fussy, they have a synergy throughout their objectives. Possession football and attacking football go hand in hand, so that is easily done. My favourite form of football is the gegenpress which incorporates both of these objectives, my only reservation is if Luton can pull this football off.
The next objectives are around signing players under 22 and developing the club using the youth system. This ties in with the supporter objective too, but unfortunately it points to one thing – being a selling club. There is no shame to this, as teams like Wigan enjoyed this the Premier League using this strategy. The unfortunate thing about it, is that it does not provide too much success. The reason for this is that there is a lot of focus on producing to sell to build out the first team.
We will need to develop the youth facilities, the you coaching and the staff. The scouts will need to be focussed on youth players, so high youth scouting stats are essential. The coaches will need to proficient in working with youngsters.
Luton Town first 11
As we always do, we look at the available data – the current ability stars. What we can see is that we have a handful of players that stand out above the rest of he squad. Looking at their positions it is obvious that a five man midfield is on the cards, especially as four of them play in midfield. Looking at the positions still, we are looking at wide options which is great for an attacking tactic.
It’s a shame, when looking at the ages that youngest player is not ours and none of the others are youth players. Looking at the rest of the squad, we can see that we can easily create the wide five man midfield. The good news is that we do have a few players that have some potential as well as plenty of squad players.
In terms of a obvious weakness, the defence is not good, not good at all. The ways to combat this, is to move away from any ideas of playing defensively, to load the defence with 3 at the back and two full backs or to buy some new defenders.
This is how the team have ended up looking. It is a solid formation, that while strong defensively also offers offensive options and great passing shapes. It has been the ‘go-to’ formation for a number of years for team across Europe. The other option would have been the 4231 formation, which is more attacking and better for passing, but leaves our already fragile defence exposed.
The tactics
When choosing the team, we need to look at how we are scoring goals. We have established that we will not be playing with two forwards, so ‘there can only be one’. I have chosen Adebayo as he looks the most promising. He is a target man and as such needs to supplied like one, through wingers crossing and set pieces galore.
I have gone with the usual combination in the three man engine room, one attack role, one support role and one defensive role. I just think this gives perfect balance to the team, especially with the talent that we have available. The defence I have gone with a flat back four, that is a standard back line, we are mainly focussed on attack.
Conclusion
I think we are going to have a lot of fun with Luton Town this year. They have so many options available in midfield and forwards to complement a number of different styles of football. Additionally they are club looking to make it in the top league and create their own future, which means you can take them on any journey.
My biggest threat is not producing enough youth talent to supplement the first team or as a revenue stream. The biggest weakness is the defence, it needs to strengthened drastically.
The biggest opportunity with the team is that you are in a position to potentially create a club that is a centre of excellence. Luton Town’s biggest strength is the midfield and that they have options available across the park, so versatility essentially.
Thank you for reading, if you like what you have read please leave comment and like.
