Rob Edwards and Luton Town have exceeded expectations in the Premier League and have a real chance of survival. Photo: Andrew Moggridge/Reuters
Forget Manchester City's bid for four in a row or a treble in a row. Put aside Jurgen Klopp's farewell and Liverpool's quest for a quadruple double. Leave out Arsenal's title run, the awakening of Spurs and Aston Villa and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's impending revolution at Manchester United.
Luton Town's stay in the Premier League will be the most inspiring story of the season . This is a club that gives hope to every fan in the country.
Such is their form: defeat to Sheffield United at Kenilworth Road last weekend was a shock, with Luton unable to convert 73 per cent of possession into victory. Given that they finished below their relegation rivals in last year's Championship, the fact that defeat was unexpected highlights how much Luton have changed opinion in a short period.
Whatever happens between now and May, Rob Edwards has cemented his reputation. and is a contender for the title of manager of the year. Luton may only have one more year in the top flight, but that is unlikely to happen with their manager. Edwards will be in demand.
Many will not be convinced by such romanticism. They might argue that the only reason Luton are realistic relegation contenders is because of Everton's 10-point deduction and the threat of similar punishment looming over Nottingham Forest.
This does not detract from the overall quality of the game. Neither Luton's performance nor the fact that they are just four points behind Crystal Palace and five behind Brentford with a game in hand. Regardless of the situation with Everton and Forest, Luton will still have reason to believe in their survival prospects given the above.
When this season began, my damning opinion of the top flight was that it was made up of 17 Premier League clubs and three Championship teams. There was a genuine fear that the bottom three would highlight the catastrophic, widening gap between the top and second tier. It was difficult to see each of them score 25 points. Considering how long it took Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United to secure their first win, those fears were justified.
Operating at a lower level has its challenges, but the Premier League represents a huge step forward.
Too often, promotions are found to be both a blessing and a curse for managers struggling to adapt. Paul Heckingbottom might still have his job if Sheffield United had not just finished runners-up last season. He would probably now be leading a new path to the Premier League.
Scott Parker was sacked by Bournemouth within weeks of promotion last season, while Sisco from Watford and Daniel Farke last year Norwich never made it to November as they struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League.
This time is the last time. Next year, if the question were asked which promotion-chasing manager would be most likely to succeed at a higher level and attract the attention of rival clubs, the overwhelming choice would be Burnley's Vincent Kompany.
Burnley recruited a whopping 101 points to finish top of the championship, 21 ahead of Luton who were third. They also spent £92m signing 15 players last summer. Luton spent just £20 million and also had to cope with the injury suffered by their inspirational captain Tom Lockyer.
Luton Town players Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (left) and Carlton Morris hold Tom Lockyer's shirt as he recovers from a heart problem. Photo: Molly Darlington/Reuters Whatever your style, athleticism is a must in the Premier League
Edwards and Kompany have tried in different ways to beat the odds of staying at the top level. The Luton coach turned out to be a faster learner.
The different approaches of coaches dealing with the same pre-season expectations make for interesting viewing.
I have never been a fan of the 'right' or 'wrong' tactical approach a newly promoted club should take to remain in the top flight. Brentford and Fulham have established themselves since promotion by adopting different styles, with Thomas Frank being more direct than Marco Silva. Last season, Nottingham Forest's Steve Cooper was prepared to make numerous tactical changes from game to game depending on the opposition.
But anyone coming from the Championship will admit there is one asset that cannot be discussion: physical strength. .
No matter what style of play you prefer, the core of the team must be prepared to handle the athleticism of the best players. This applies from top to bottom.
Look at Manchester City. There is no one in world football who plays a cleaner passing game, but their starting XI is filled with as tall and strong as it is technical, with Erling Haaland, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker.
Edwards realized and applied this more than Pep Guardiola's student company. Luton were shrewd to sign experienced players such as Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend on a free transfer, recognizing the value of their experience and understanding of the Premier League.
Burnley are trying to impose Guardiola's philosophy, but without the strong and athletic players needed to make them competitive. This is Burnley's main weakness — the main reason why they only have 13 points.
Naturally, there is criticism that Kompany is too committed to his tactical ideas. The problem is not how he wants to play. If a coach is passionate about the way his team is building, and a year ago it brought only three defeats in 46 games, then he is unlikely to immediately abandon it. Burnley have suffered from not recruiting enough fit Premier League players to carry out their vision.
Their 21-year-old goalkeeper James Trafford is a symbol of their inexperience. He is a very talented prospect who came through his career at Manchester City and played at youth level for England Under-21s. He has a long and wonderful career ahead.
The rivals targeted Burnley and goalkeeper James Trafford from set-pieces. Photo: Daniel Hambury/Shutterstock
But anyone who watches Burnley can see that the Premier League has come too early because he is not physically developed enough, especially when dealing with tall players. balls and set pieces.
The experience that Burnley's young men are gaining will be invaluable in the long term, but their presence is a sign that they have decided they are ready to take a short-term hit. Relegation is inevitable as many of Burnley's games look like boys versus men.
Kompany hasn't shown himself to be a bad coach this season, he's just still learning his craft. The former City captain will have to prove himself again to secure a second promotion and justify the idea that his career trajectory will eventually take him back to the Etihad.
What will be more instructive is that how he will show he has learned from this season if and when he finds himself in the same situation.
Burnley host Arsenal this weekend and Luton host Manchester United. If Luton had picked up a point or won, it wouldn't have been the biggest surprise.
Anything short of a comfortable Arsenal win at Turf Moor would have been one of the shocks of the season.< /p>
This is an absolute shock. The shift in expectations is testament to the work Edwards has put in.
Luton Town started the season looking like they could be an embarrassment to the Championship from which they came. Instead, they were a credit to their coach and English football.
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