Matt Bloomfield ‘felt like a little kid’ against Derby County, now is time for the Luton Town boss to be the man

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Luton Town cannot lose Friday afternoon’s game to Derby County at Pride Park, with the relegation six-pointer a must-win for Matt Bloomfield’s side.

That is more true of Luton, who simply must claim victory if they are to have any chance of Championship survival in an utterly dismal season for the side after relegation from the Premier League last year and the distinct possibility of League One football looming for next year.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
17	Oxford UnitedOxford United	42	12	12	18	43	60	-17	48
18	Stoke CityStoke City	42	11	14	17	43	54	-11	47
19	PortsmouthPortsmouth	42	12	10	20	50	66	-16	46
20	Hull CityHull City	42	11	12	19	41	50	-9	45
21	DerbyDerby	42	11	10	21	44	54	-10	43
22	CardiffCardiff	42	9	15	18	45	66	-21	42
23	LutonLuton	42	10	10	22	37	63	-26	40
24	PlymouthPlymouth	42	9	13	20	44	82	-38	40

It’s a key fixture in the relegation run-in and Derby could close in on safety with a win, which a number of neutrals and pundits expect Derby to do. Relegation would be closer to a reality for a Luton side which would see it cost them £4.5 million.

A physical battle is to be expected from Eustace and the visitors, who need a response from the disappointment of the defeat to Blackburn and to prove recent supercomputer projections wrong, by securing victory over the Rams.

Matt Bloomfield on Derby County experiences

Back in November 2020, Bloomfield was a player for Wycombe Wanderers. He was captain, leader, legend for the club where he eventually became manager. He scored his first Championship goal of his career in a 1-1 draw with Derby at Pride Park in the 81st minute to snatch a draw against Wayne Rooney.

It’s therefore happy memories for him in Derbyshire, as that goal meant that Bloomfield had scored in every Wycombe Wanderers’ season up to that point since he first signed for the club back in the 2003/04 season. 

Speaking via Bucks Free Press at the time, Bloomfield said: “It has happened in the past where you have been out of the team and nowhere near it, and then you’re required to play your part.

“But injuries happen in football and you get your opportunity. I have been working hard in the gym and have been waiting to get my opportunity and it came.”

On his goal, he added: “It makes me feel like a little kid.

“The odds of me getting a Championship goal over the last five/six seasons when we were in League Two, I would have told you that there would be absolutely no chance of that happening.

“I am so chuffed to have come on and got a goal. This is the stuff of dreams.

“Getting Wycombe into the Championship, the goal, and I just want us to keep improving, moving forward, and get the points that we need.”

Many of his words as a player apply to the game on Friday, with Bloomfield since leaving Wycombe for Luton this season to further his career and to enjoy more days out like a trip to Derby.

He felt like a boy then, but he needs to be the man for Luton town in these four remaining games, starting in Derbyshire on Friday.

• READ MORE: Luton Town directors say they made mistake that could lead to relegation after record £48.8m profit

Luton’s survival chances take hit without key duo

The Rams have four wins and two draws in their last seven league outings home or away and have escaped the relegation zone for now amid ‘insane statistics’ being set under Eustace’s tutelage.

Without Elijah Adebayo and Alfie Doughty for the rest of the season, Luton lose a large part of their set-piece threat combination, which could be the difference in this game against an in-form side.

Doughty’s delivery can be a huge differential in a game of this size and scale, where fine margins will be the difference. Any minor gain like that can be an advantage.

Opta give them just an 11.36% chance of survival from here, but that doesn’t factor in those huge losses. Adebayo may have had a poor season in front of goal but his aerial threat is needed in both boxes.

Derby do not lack on that front, having accumulated 40.53% of their chances from set-pieces this season and scored the most goals in the division (19) from those situations as well.