Attacker has been disappointing since returning to Kenilworth Road
Luton boss Jack Wilshere has admitted he needs to find the Emilio Lawrence who starred during the second half of his loan spell at Kenilworth Road last year, and quickly, after the winger continued a disappointing start to his second stint with the Hatters on Sunday.
The 20-year-old was one of Town’s main transfer targets over the summer after finishing a first stint in Bedfordshire in excellent form, scoring twice, including in the Vertu Trophy final win over Stockport County, and adding six assists too. Having returned to Manchester City, there was a huge call from Luton fans to bring the Scotland U21 international back to the club during the transfer window, and that happened ahead of Town’s trip to Reading for their opening game of the campaign last month.
Thrown straight into the starting line-up that day, Lawrence failed to really ignite at the Madejski Stadium, limited to 13 touches, eventually taken off after the hour mark. He stayed in the side, but only managed 12 touches against Notts County in the following game, although did create two chances that Jake Richards and Gideon Kodua both spurned, firing them into the Kenny End, once more replaced on 62 minutes.
Emilio Lawrence missed a glorious chance against Mansfield on Sunday - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Imagesplaceholder image
Emilio Lawrence missed a glorious chance against Mansfield on Sunday - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Images
Lawrence then had even less of the ball at Mansfield on Sunday, 11 touches, one of three players hauled off at half time with Town 3-0 down to the Stags, as they went on to suffer a 5-2 thrashing. The attacker also missed a glorious opportunity to halve the deficit, as moments after the hosts doubled their lead, he volleyed Izzy Jones’ cross into the ground and over the bar from close range on the half-hour, when he simply had to score.
Town have been here with Lawrence before, as his spell echoes the start he made last term, when he began the first few matches and was then dropped from the squad by Wilshere to adapt to the level required for League One football. He did that brilliantly, which is why the expectation was that he wouldn’t need time to do so on this occasion, and asked if his form has now become a concern, Wilshere said: “We need to find that Emilio.
"We need to find the Emilio that’s creating, that’s brave, that will go one v one with his defender. We need to work with him, he was really good at that last year, at working hard, earning his place in the team and we need to keep going like that with him. It will come, he’s got too much quality for it not to come, but we need to work with him.”
Lawrence and his team-mates will get an immediate chance to try and put right the wrongs from the weekend when they host Stockport County at Kenilworth Road this evening. With Benagr waiting in the wings, plus new signing Tudor Mendel also arriving from Ipswich Town, it could mean that changes are made for what is Town’s third game in seven days, with another two more on the horizon against Leyton Orient and Stevenage.
County have made a fine start to life in League One, under new management this term with Rochdale boss Jimmy McNulty joining having led his side out of the Conference via the play-offs last term. They are the joint top scorers in the league too, with nine to their name so far, not what a Town defence who, now having shipped 10 in three, are the second worst in the division, will relish coming up against.
However, Wilshere knows a reaction is needed following the end of their 14-game unbeaten run in the league, despite the fixture schedule not getting any easier, as he added: “It doesn’t and that’s the league, we know that and that’s why we worked so hard in pre=season to make sure we could go Saturday, Tuesday, or Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday and we’re going to have to do that.
"It’s a big game on Wednesday now that is against a different type of opposition, but a type of opposition that is League One. We’re going to have to fight, going to have to win our duels, going to have to track our runners, make sure that before we do anything, that we outwork and outfight them.
"The run we’ve been on, that was a big reason why went on that run, because we were able to do that, outwork, outfight, win our duels and then we’ve got good players, we know that, we’ve got good players who can hurt an opposition. If you show that you’re going to win the fight and kill an opposition’s spirit then you can show you’re a good player, but you have to earn that.”