Football Season Guide

Luton Town will be hoping to go one better this season after timing their play-off push just too late under head coach Jack Wilshere. It was a tough start for the rookie boss, with all eyes on the former Arsenal and England star. He inherited a club still trying to reverse the slide following back-to-back relegation and it took almost six months to get to grips with the situation. It all got a bit ugly, both on and off-the-pitch, with a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Burton Albion met with volleys of abuse from the stands at Kenilworth Road directed at Wilshere and Captain Kal Naismith. That very much represented the nadir, but the green shoots of recovery had emerged by the time the EFL Trophy was lifted at Wembley, Stockport County beaten 3-1 in the final. The Hatters had left themselves with just a bit too much to do to join their namesakes in the play-offs but what Wilshere has done is put the building blocks in place for a push for automatic promotion and return to the Championship. The spine of the side is in place. Josh Keeley enjoyed a strong first season between the sticks. The addition of George Johnston, promoted with Bolton Wanderers, strengthens the options at centre-back. Jordan Clark and Liam Walsh will reprise their midfield partnership with Kasey Palmer in front of them having made his loan move from Hull City permanent. Palmer made a real impact in the second half of last season and is clearly a player that possesses Championship ability. The new season is the chance for Jake Richards to realise his potential. Wilshere will need to help him and decide on his best position after moving him about last season. Any question marks are reserved for the attack. The signings of Devante Cole, Jerry Yates and Lasse Nordås have all failed to pay off, leaving Nakhi Wells as the default option. Callum Marshall will be hoping to step up after signing on a permanent deal from West Ham United this summer.