Luton to be aided by former Nottingham Forest coaches in FA Cup as Rob Edwards sacked
Nottingham Forest's FA Cup opponents Luton Town have announced that they've parted company with manager Rob Edwards, two days before the two sides meet in the third round of the competition on Saturday.
Forest, flying in the Premier League and coming into their cup campaign on the back of six straight league victories under Nuno Espirito Santo, the most recent at his former club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night. They remain comfortably in the Champions League places and harbour ambitions of restoring European football to the City Ground in 2025.
Luton, by comparison, are in dire straits; these two sides came up against one another last season in the Premier League in what proved to be a whistle stop tour for the Hatters, who immediately returned to the Championship after a single season. While Burnley and Sheffield United are towards the top of the second tier, though, Luton under Edwards have struggled.
Luton have lost their last four matches, and five of their last six, to leave them hovering precariously over the relegation zone. While the club have decided to pull the trigger on Edwards' time in charge, there has certainly been plenty of respect shown his way by the club who are parting company with him.
In a statement, CEO Gary Sweet said: “As with all decisions to part company with a manager, this has been a tough decision to arrive at, together with Rob, who has conducted himself with great professionalism and dignity throughout his two years at the Club, and again this week as we have genuinely come to a mutual conclusion.
“Rob has given us some of our greatest days to celebrate as Hatters. Those two barnstorming derby victories at Kenilworth Road, the play-off final at Wembley and our season in the Premier League will live with us forever and in doing so Rob has earned himself a legendary status.
“Results this season, especially away from home, have clearly not been acceptable and while we have supported Rob and his team in every possible way, we all felt that action was required to rectify this with 20 league matches still to play. It is typical of Rob’s humility that he also recognised this himself and leaves not just as a former manager, but as a trusted friend who has left his mark on every player and member of staff.
“Rob and his family will always be welcome visitors to Kenilworth Road. The door is always open. On behalf of the board, I would like to give him our heartfelt thanks for two years of tireless work and so many memories, wishing him every success for his future career.”
Ex-Forest coach Paul Trollope and Richie Kyle, aided by former Forest caretaker boss Mick Harford, will take charge of Luton's tie this weekend at the City Ground in the absence of a first-team manager, a figure the club intend to identify and recruit imminently.
Trollope was at Forest under Chris Hughton in 2020-21, while Hatters legend Harford joined Forest from Luton in 2004 to assist then boss Joe Kinnear, before taking up the caretaker role after his sacking, until Gary Megson was appointed at the beginning of 2005.
