WHO ARE LUTON TOWN?

LUTON TOWN IN 2007/8 

Normally when predicting a side to be relegated, I take into account many variables but predicting Luton Town to be relegated is possibly the easiest prediction I've ever had to make. I have correctly predicted one of the relegated sides in four out of the last five years, but none have been as seemingly guaranteed as the men from Kenilworth Road.

It'll take them at least 10 games to reach zero points, but you could probably double that given Luton's record over the last 24 months. If they do reach zero at any point during the season, it is still likely that they will end up being twenty or so points off of safety by that point. It's an enormous task ahead of them that I just can't see them accomplishing the greatest of great escapes.

They would require around 80 points throughout the season to even stand a chance to stay up. A tall task when you consider that they've only gained 73 points during the previous two seasons. That's a massive points haul for a side that have been on the slide since Mike Newell decided to let rip on Amy Rayner. Yes, that was a slightly controversial view but he was easily the best manager Luton have had since Joe Kinnear's surge up the Division 3 (as it was known then) table.

Luton fans, and all credit to them, will stick by their team but ultimately they must know that they simply haven't got a realistic chance of going up this season. Their -10 points total was recoverable, it made the situation more difficult but at least they could have easily got into a positive points total and still be in touch with the other teams down there. However, that additional twenty points is like asking a dwarf to win the high jump at the Olympics.

In terms of their playing staff, it is a better squad than those at Dagenham, Accrington and several other sides that you'd expect to see the bottom.

Dean Brill has played higher up in the Leagues for Luton. Alan Goodall and Paul Underwood both have experience of League Two football, the latter being involved in the Rushden and Diamonds side that won League Two in 2002/3. Other notable names include Lewis Emanuel, Sam Parkin and Marlon Beresford. Emanuel almost joined the Imps on loan and does have League Two experience, playing against the Imps for Brentford last season.

In charge is a Lincoln City club legend. Mick Harford scored a goal under every three games in the red and white of Lincoln City and will no doubt get a rousing ovation if he's still in charge when Luton travel to Sincil Bank. However, it's not just at Sincil Bank he's a legend. He was voted as Luton's greatest ever player in a recent poll.

Harford's record as Luton manager isn't the best though, winning just two of the twenty-two games that he has had in charge of the Hatters. You can read more about Mick Harford at our indepth profile.

The only ever-so-slight chance they have of staying up is if a lot of sides end up having points taken off them. However, the only two teams who are likely to be in that situation are Rotherham and Bournemouth, both of whom are better on paper than Luton. As I said, they're not the worst team that will compete in League Two by a long way. In any normal season I would have predicted them for a midtable finish, possibly even sneaking into the playoffs but I think 24^th is the only place you're likely to see Luton Town anywhere during the 2008/9 season.

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