Rob Edwards leaves Luton Town, Championship strugglers pay tribute to head coach

The arrival of the former defender divided opinion after his 11-game stint with rivals Watford which ended less than two months prior to taking on the role at Kenilworth Road.

However, the 42-year-old leaves as one of the best managers in the club's history having guided the Hatters to the Premier League against the odds.

Since a return to the Championship, though, Luton have found themselves in a relegation battle rather than another promotion hunt, currently sitting in 20th position in the standings.

On the back of suffering four defeats in a row to drop to within two points of the bottom three, Luton and Edwards have agreed to an "amicable" parting of the ways.

"We could not have wished for a better man"

In a lengthy statement on the club's official website, Luton have paid tribute to the job that Edwards has done, saying that he had given the supporters "their greatest day" with victory on penalties in the 2022-23 Championship playoff final against Coventry.

It read: "Rob was appointed in November 2022, and once the Championship had resumed following the break for the Qatar World Cup, together with assistants Richie Kyle and Paul Trollope, he took over a side sitting 10th, one point outside the playoffs.

"The trio guided the Hatters to third place, including a first derby win in front of fans for 17 years, then a stunning playoff semi-final success over Sunderland before winning promotion to the Premier League with a penalty shootout victory over Coventry.

"They gave a generation of Luton Town supporters the greatest day of their lives at Wembley on 27th May 2023, completing the final leg of the rise from non-league football to the top-flight, and every Hatter will remain eternally grateful for that entry to the club's history books.

"On that day at the national stadium and then again four months into the Premier League campaign, at Bournemouth, Rob led with compassion and dignity in the wake of the two episodes which saw his captain, Tom Lockyer, collapse on a pitch with heart issues.

"We could have not wished for a better man to understand what it takes to be manager of Luton Town, one who acted as an ambassador for the club and community in the glare of the world's media spotlight.

"We enjoyed the highs of Goodison Park and that maiden Premier League win, the demolition of Brighton under the Kenilworth Road lights and the part the Town played in the 4-4 classic at Newcastle after also taking a point, and so very nearly all three, off Liverpool as the battle against relegation went right to the final day.

"The current campaign back in the Championship has clearly not progressed as anticipated, and after holding amicable talks following Monday's defeat at QPR, the board and Rob have agreed to part with immediate effect."

Edwards leaves with reputation intact

Edwards leaves Luton having won just 32 of his 104 matches in charge, losing a total of 47, yet context is required given the surprise success that he brought the club.

Luton only missed out on survival in the Premier League by six points, a consequence of winning just one of their final 17 top-flight fixtures of 2023-24.

Having been in work for all but seven weeks since September 2020, Edwards is likely to bide his time before taking his next opportunity.

When that comes around, it is likely to be in the Championship or a lower-level Premier League club, his League Two promotion with Forest Green Rovers in 2021-22 also standing him in good stead.

Written by

Darren Plant