Team for Luton

Last updated : 06 August 2004 By The Chairman

Brian Talbot has named his starting squad for the first league game of the season at Luton. He said, “I think if people are being honest, the team roughly picks itself. I think the back 5 are solid and when I say the back 5 I'm including the goalkeeper, which is obviously Les, Holden, Haining, Arber and Griff. Arber's come in and fitted in perfectly. He's a good player and maybe a bit quicker than I'd realised. I always knew he was a good player. I've been chasing him for four years and eventually I've got him. In midfield we've moved John Eyre back into his normal position and we've brought Jack in on the right. Bonner has been excellent since he's been here and I just have to decide on the left now. Is it David or is it Cooksey and it's a straight choice between those two.”

“Up front Johnson has been fantastic in pre-season but he is frustrating sometimes. He went through on his own at Rochdale and missed the target and then in the last ten minutes he got two finishes that Henry would be proud of. It's about who plays with him. The decision's been made for me and that happens in football. Is it Vernon or is it Killen? It's Vernon because Killen's not fit. If Scott's ever worried about his place he knows he only has to wait a couple of weeks to get back in because Killen's normally injured so that will resolve itself.”

Talbot continued about Matty Barlow (pictured) and said, “He's young, he's enthusiastic, he's keen to learn and he's a goalscorer. He scored 4 in one game in pre-season, he scored a fantastic overhead kick in one game and he scored two more the other night. I think Owen played regularly for England when he was young and Rooney's quite young. If your good enough old enough. Can you play at 17? When I was brought up we had Burley and Beatty playing regularly as 17 year olds in the first team. Barlow's a good player and will definitely be in the 16 tomorrow because he's a goalscorer and you always consider goalscorers.”

Full Squad: Pogliacomi, Holden, Haining, Arber, Griffin, Jack, Bonner, Eyre, Eyres, Vernon, Johnson, Tierney, Beharall, Appleby, Boshell, Cooksey, Barlow, Treacy.