Luton sack Bloomfield after nine months in charge

Luton Town have sacked manager Matt Bloomfield with the club 11th in League One following Saturday's loss at Stevenage.

Bloomfield left Wycombe Wanderers in a League One promotion place to become Luton boss in January, following the departure of Rob Edwards.

But he was unable to save them from a second successive relegation as they finished 22nd in the Championship and went down on goal difference, losing 5-3 to West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the season.

They began the new campaign with three wins in their first four games but a downturn followed with four losses from seven since then.

"Performances and results from the opening 11 matches of the current campaign in League One have fallen below the levels expected," said a club statement., external

Bloomfield won 12 of his 33 games in charge of The Hatters, losing 14.

His assistant Richard Thomas, first-team coach Lee Harrison and analyst Ben Cirne have also left Kenilworth Road, with academy coach Alex Lawless - a former Luton player - put in interim charge ahead of Tuesday's EFL Trophy game at Cambridge United.

"With two training weeks ahead of the next league match, the process of appointing a new manager is now underway, which will be led by a committee involving members from the executive team, recruitment, football staff and the board," the statement added.

Bloomfield's departure comes just 10 days after he was given the public backing of chief executive Gary Sweet following a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Lincoln City.

Sweet said the 41-year-old was "incredibly capable, resilient and determined" and had created a "fantastic environment" since taking charge.

But he warned that the club would have "no qualms" about making a change if results did not improve.

His comments were followed by a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers but a draw at Blackpool, followed by defeat at Stevenage, have prompted the board to make a change.

by BBC Three Counties Radio sports editor Geoff Doyle

This doesn't come as much of a surprise. Luton were booed off again in the defeat to local rivals Stevenage at the weekend with chants of, 'we want our Luton back' and others much worse.

The fans have lost patience with Bloomfield, the team and the club and the relationship has turned quite toxic. Luton cannot have a team of players who the fans are not backing.

Bloomfield has paid the price for picking up five wins from 11 league matches this season, having failed to keep the Hatters up in the Championship when he arrived in January.

He was dealt a raw hand, not knowing whether players would be leaving or staying in the summer. Recruitment has been sketchy again and the players have let him down.

It is always the manager who pays the price when it reaches this stage.