Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere has publicly challenged Manchester City loanee Emilio Lawrence to rediscover the form that made him a hit last season. The call comes as the Hatters, currently 14th in League One with four points from three games, prepare to host joint-top scorers Stockport County at Kenilworth Road this week.
Wilshere's comments follow a difficult start to Lawrence's second loan spell at the club. The 20-year-old winger, who scored twice and provided six assists during his first stint, has struggled for impact in recent matches. He was substituted after 60 minutes against Reading, having managed just 13 touches. Against Notts County, he created two chances from 12 touches before coming off after 62 minutes. The low point came in a 5-2 defeat to Mansfield Town, where Lawrence made only 11 touches, missed a clear opportunity, and was one of three players hooked at half-time.
Jack Wilshere's message is clear. He needs the version of Lawrence that terrorised defenders last campaign. "We need to find the Emilio that’s creating, that’s brave, that will go one v one with his defender," Wilshere said. "We need to work with him, he was really good at that last year, at working hard, earning his place in the team and we need to keep going like that with him."
The manager expressed confidence that the player's quality will shine through. "It will come, he’s got too much quality for it not to come, but we need to work with him." This public backing is a strategic move from Wilshere, aiming to rebuild the young player's confidence while setting clear expectations. The team's recent defensive record, shipping ten goals in their last three league games to become the second-worst defensive side in the division, has increased the pressure on the attack to deliver.
The context for Wilshere's challenge is a team searching for stability. That heavy loss to Mansfield ended a 14-game unbeaten run in the league, a stark reminder of their current vulnerabilities. With eight goals scored but ten conceded already this season for a minus-two goal difference, finding a balance is urgent.
This is the third game in a demanding seven-day period for the squad. After facing Stockport, attention turns to a home match against Leyton Orient on September 5th. Orient sit sixth in the table, making it another tough test. Fans can track the team's progress through this busy period on the club's official fixtures page.
The immediate task is containing a Stockport side flying high. Managed by Jimmy McNulty, they were promoted from the Conference via the play-offs last season and have started this campaign as the joint-top scorers in League One with nine goals. Their attacking prowess presents a major test for Luton's rearguard.
Preparing for such opponents requires every player to be at their best, which underpins Wilshere's focus on Lawrence. The manager will also be looking to new signing Tudor Mendel, who joined from Ipswich Town, to bolster his options. The current squad details and player statistics are available on the club's squad page.
At this early stage, Luton find themselves six points behind league leaders Huddersfield. While there is plenty of time to close that gap, improving performances is the immediate priority. The team's standing can be monitored on the League One standings page.
Jack Wilshere's call for Emilio Lawrence to step up is a key moment in the young winger's loan spell. How he responds could be key to Luton Town's fortunes as they handle a packed schedule against in-form opponents, starting with Stockport County at Kenilworth Road.
