A heartwarming night for Luton’s might-bes and coulda-beens

When Luton Town won the playoff final at Wembley last season to win promotion to the Premier League, they were immediately installed as white-hot favourites to go straight back down. The plucky Hatters hadn’t played in the top flight since 1992, when they were relegated just a few months before Sky Sports invented football in England and records officially began, but on that fateful day at Wembley they became the first team in history to return to the top tier of English football after suffering multiple relegations into what these days is known as the National League. Indeed, on Football Daily’s only ever trip to Kenilworth Road a little more than 13 years ago, we saw them play Forest Green on a freezing night in a match partly soundtracked by the chattering of our own teeth and the defiant chants of 14 (yes, we counted them) travelling fans.

Having witnessed Luton at their lowest ebb in the non-league wilderness, it was heartwarming to see them at one of their highest, delivering their standout performance of the season as they spanked four goals without reply past a Brighton side with no answers for the ferocious intensity of hosts seemingly inspired by the pre-match appearance of tearful skipper Tom Lockyer, making his first visit to the ground since a cardiac arrest during a game at Bournemouth six weeks ago. “It’s been a really great night and I think we’ve been building this momentum for a really long time,” purred Luton’s preposterously handsome manager, Rob Edwards. “We know we’re still going to have difficult moments and difficult periods but we’re giving ourselves a chance.”

Being outside the relegation zone and in with a half-decent chance of staying up is more than many Luton fans would have settled for before the season started, when much of the outside noise focused on the fact that travelling fans have to enter the Kenilworth Road away end by climbing through the bathroom window of an adjacent house, and assorted experts were predicting they’d struggle to get near Derby County’s record low top-flight points tally of 11 in 2007-08. With 19 to their name already and the same number of games left to play, this steadily improving rag-bag assortment of might-bes and coulda-beens look on course to hit the magic 40-point mark, not least when one considers some of their finest performances this season have come in games against elite sides, from which they’ve taken nothing. While Brighton don’t quite fit into that bracket, their manager Roberto De Zerbi has, in recent days, been named as a potential successor to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool or Xavi at Barcelona. On the evidence of his team’s display here, he’ll struggle to make the Luton shortlist when Edwards takes over at Anfield or the Camp Nou.

And finally, a word for Elijah Adebayo, who last night became the first Luton Town player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League – and the first one since their Danish cult hero Lars Elstrup filled his boots against Norwich City in 1990 to do so in a top-flight game. In what could be a portent of things to come, Luton ended that particular season one spot above the relegation zone, while further up the table Arsenal finished top of the league.

Join Sarah Rendell at 5.45pm GMT for Women’s Big Cup MBM coverage of Lyon 3-1 Slavia Prague, followed by hot Premier League action from 7.30pm: Niall McVeigh will be on deck for clockwatch updates of Manchester City 5-0 Burnley and Tottenham 2-2 Brentford, while Scott Murray is at the wheel for Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea at 8.15pm.

“The coach’s exit is completely unacceptable, and we will discuss with him why this happened. He has the right to explain his point of view, and then we will decide the appropriate action” – it was an early Asian Cup exit for Saudi Arabia’s coach Roberto Mancini in more ways than one, prompting this less-than-delighted response from Football Federation chief suit Yasser al-Misehal.

Your lead story about the Conti Cup farce (yesterday’s Football Daily) brought me out in a cold sweat, as the previously buried memory of this Aston Villa v West Ham debacle came shuddering into my mind. Having sat through the freezing cold and incredibly tense packed-out quarter-final at Upton Park, finally winning on penalties after extra time, you can imagine the little bit of sick that involuntarily filled my mouth the next day when reading that the youth player brought on in the 113th minute had already played on loan for Gillingham in the competition. Obviously I don’t need to tell you the result of the replayed tie” – Michael Johns.

Re: players finding a safe way to pay tribute (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). When my cousin, Sean (Clare) scored for Hearts, he did an A/W sign with his hands as a tribute to his Auntie Wendy (my ma). She used to drive him to training every week with Charlton when he was age eight and long after. Without fail. I readily admit tearing up when he did that. Football can be, and often is, brilliant” – David Johnson.

As your News, Bits and Bobs section (full email edition) pointed me towards the rebranding of the Yeovil club badge, I thought I’d check out what it was replacing before casting judgment on the handiwork of the graphic designer. And what an acid trip of a badge they are losing. John the Baptist, a medallion as a symbol of his martyrdom, the crown of Empress Matilda, pastoral staffs from 15th and 16th century religious institutions, and the Rampant Lions who to my untutored eye appear to be doing dad/pointy-dancing. All done away with in favour of a ball and some gloves, and some guff about a ‘consistent brand identity’. I know I am getting old but is this really progress?” – Colin Reed.

While agreeing with Steve Allen that the Football League structure does not resemble a pyramid, neither is it a ladder, nor indeed a pole … greasy or otherwise (yesterday’s letters). The top five divisions do resemble a ladder, but below that it flares out on a regional basis. I would say that the most appropriate shape would be the Eiffel Tower, except that it has those large semi-circular holes at the bottom. Perhaps bell-bottomed trousers would be a better analogy (this season’s most wearable jeans, according to Big Website’s fashion gurus)” – John Caley.

Pyramids don’t have to be physically like a pyramid. A pyramid is also something that diminishes in people or quantity as you go higher up the levels. Like a pyramid scheme, or like common sense in the Manchester United hierarchy” – Jimmy O’Brien.

Re: yesterday’s Memory Lane (full email edition). Having turned up in my youth of a Sunday morning at the Marshes after a heavy Saturday night, let me say the position of the centre-circle lines was the least of the worries and just another flashing white light to be avoided. Groundstaff, you can sign your name, no one will notice, but thanks for doing the important bits” – Jeremy Foxon.

A member of the Hackney Marshes groundstaff walks into a pub and the bartender says … why the long face?” – Declan Houton.

Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Michael Johns.

30 January: “The fans were applauding when I came and some of them will sing these kind of songs, which is OK. I accept that and I signed up for the job. All I can focus on is coming in tomorrow and try to make us better and try to win the next game” – Aberdeen boss Barry Robson remains bullish after a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw against Dundee, during which home fans chanted “we want Robson out”, along with other, less tea-time-email-friendly ditties.

31 January: “Barry earned the right to be Aberdeen manager and knew the high level of expectation we had when he took the role. We gave Barry as much time and support as we could in the hope, and expectation, he could return us to the league form we witnessed in the spring of last year. There is a talented squad of players at the club which makes our current league position unacceptable” – chairman Dave Cormack makes good on the Pittodrie fans’ demands.

€uropean $uper £eague promoter A22 has sharpened its claws and sent a cease and desist letter to Uefa, accusing it of “anti-competitive behaviour”. Ooh!

Blackburn’s teenage midfielder Adam Wharton is coughing for the Crystal Palace doctor before a planned £22m move south.

Japan have eased into the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup with a 3-1 cruise past Bahrain, with goals from Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda.

Erik ten Hag insists his Manchester United players do not lack respect for him, despite Marcus Rashford missing training last Friday after allegedly partying into the early hours in Belfast beforehand. “There is a line between [right and wrong]; every player, every pro, knows this, what is required,” he tooted.

Gabriel Jesus has defended his scoring record in the Premier League, arguing that it’s not “all about stats” but has vowed to be more ruthless, as he was in Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest. “Sometimes I am not focused on [scoring goals] and that’s my mistake,” he blathered. “So now, I change my mindset and I will be in the box [like a fox?] more.”

England will play Austria and Italy in a pair of February friendlies – in Spain – to prepare for Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying.

And Port Vale have poured cold water all over reports that Robbie Williams is set to buy the club. “We are aware of the ‘exclusive’ news that appeared … and want to clarify the following: Robbie Williams has not made a bid … the Shanahan family remain fully committed to Port Vale,” honked a statement. Presumably, he still has a lot of love and affection for the club, whether they’re right or wrong.

If you don’t find the Knowledge’s deep-dive into the shortest multi-divisional stadium-spotting road trips interesting then you and Football Daily can never truly be friends.

Ben McAleer on Darwin Núñez’s development from cult hero to actual hero at Liverpool.

“A regular dude.” Ryan Baldi picks over David Beckham’s legacy in MLS.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip watch a gymnastic display at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park in 1977. Obviously. And to think, it would still be another 14 years until club royalty Kevin Francis would take to the same pitch.