Carlos's first Luton Town interview

[redrobo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj9Sol6HuXs

Not the entire interview but a flavour of what he said.

[Born again Bill]

Good luck to the lad , deserves a crack at the higher leagues . Will follow his career from now on, another face for the legends wall I think !

[RapidShrimp]

Another face for the legends wall I think !

No... just no.

Is he a Wembley hero? Yes. Did he has a fantastic season? Yes. Did he leave everything out on the pitch in every game? Yes.

But is he a club legend? Not a chance. He’ll quite rightly go down in the club’s history as being an integral part in that wonderful season, but the word ‘Legend’ is bandied around too much.


On another note, he has always come across as a great lad - very humble, not a hint of arrogance, yet ON the pitch he shows so much confidence, yet also a lot of self-awareness of his role & responsibilities in the team. I’ve never wanted a player to succeed at their new club more than him, and I think it’s great he’s been able to leave to challenge and develop himself, whilst giving the club a good deal as well!

[AndyReifman]

Another face for the legends wall I think !

No... just no.

Is he a Wembley hero? Yes. Did he has a fantastic season? Yes. Did he leave everything out on the pitch in every game? Yes.

But is he a club legend? Not a chance. He’ll quite rightly go down in the club’s history as being an integral part in that wonderful season, but the word ‘Legend’ is bandied around too much.


On another note, he has always come across as a great lad - very humble, not a hint of arrogance, yet ON the pitch he shows so much confidence, yet also a lot of self-awareness of his role & responsibilities in the team. I’ve never wanted a player to succeed at their new club more than him, and I think it’s great he’s been able to leave to challenge and develop himself, whilst giving the club a good deal as well!

Think I mostly agree with this. Great servant to the club but not around enough to be a legend.

Now, if we suddenly go on a run and enter the golden age of Morecambe just because we got out of League 2, maybe we would have to reconsider due to his role in that. Based on just the current information though I think I'd agree, important player who should always be remembered but not a legend.

[Westgate Wanderer]

I'd say the entire team goes down in the history of our club for the achievement they did. The manager also even after leaving after 18 months! Not legend status but never to be forgotten.

[redrobo]

My thoughts about Adams and the way he engineered a move are fairly negative BUT I can't be too annoyed when you consider that he got together a team that gave us promotion and he gave Carlos his chance which has paid off handsomely....something I fear would not have happened had he not seen something special in Carlos that others failed to see.

[tim-sanchez]

I'd say the entire team goes down in the history of our club for the achievement they did. The manager also even after leaving after 18 months! Not legend status but never to be forgotten.

I agree, maybe not legend but he'll be remembered forever for scoring the winner at Wembley. Nobody will forget Songo'o, NKP, McAlinden or many others who weren't around long but played their part.

[Crazeenick]

I agree that Carlos should not be given Club Legend status. That should be for people who gave a lot over a good period of time. Carlos was great - but he was only here for a short time. He will, of course, always be remembered and good luck to him in his future career.

I do agree with Alex Kenyon being put forward. he was at our club a long time and showed a lot of commitment both on and off the pitch. And who can forget his passion and commitment as stand-in goalkeeper!

I would also like to see Stewart Drummond added to the Legends list.

[marky No.1]

I would agree with Drummy, quite a record for us including the longest speeches ever.
His first stint was 10 years, then came back playing for another 7, then done 6 more and counting behind the scenes.
622 appearances, scoring 81 goals, spent more than half his life at MFC

[red shrimp]

I would agree with Drummy, quite a record for us including the longest speeches ever.
His first stint was 10 years, then came back playing for another 7, then done 6 more and counting behind the scenes.
622 appearances, scoring 81 goals, spent more than half his life at MFC

I was really surprised when I noticed he wasn’t already on the wall, definitely a club legend.

[parceldave]

Yep deffo Drummy and Twissy

[Posh]

My thoughts about Adams and the way he engineered a move are fairly negative BUT I can't be too annoyed when you consider that he got together a team that gave us promotion and he gave Carlos his chance which has paid off handsomely....something I fear would not have happened had he not seen something special in Carlos that others failed to see.

Fairly negative about both Adams and Bentley then. Carlos was brought in under Jim Bentley and played 20 first games in his first season at the club and gave him a longer contract. That was as a 19 year old whose only adult football was in the 10th tier of English football. I think Jim saw plenty in him, just that Adams was far better at getting it out of him. Not trying to be pro-anything here just giving some perspective.

[Keith]

My thoughts about Adams and the way he engineered a move are fairly negative BUT I can't be too annoyed when you consider that he got together a team that gave us promotion and he gave Carlos his chance which has paid off handsomely....something I fear would not have happened had he not seen something special in Carlos that others failed to see.

Fairly negative about both Adams and Bentley then. Carlos was brought in under Jim Bentley and played 20 first games in his first season at the club and gave him a longer contract. That was as a 19 year old whose only adult football was in the 10th tier of English football. I think Jim saw plenty in him, just that Adams was far better at getting it out of him. Not trying to be pro-anything here just giving some perspective.

Obviously, no fans saw anything in Carlos when he was given a chance to play under Jim either. I don't remember redrobo clamouring for him to have more games after witnessing his 'Bambi on Ice' routine at Carlisle and elsewhere? Could it perhaps be, 'he wasn't ready'? Perhaps, he was 'being developed'? When he played in games previously, he was far too lightweight, knocked off the ball too easily. And either his head was too quick for his feet or his feet were too quick for his head! Last season, he looked bigger & stronger and his fast brain & fast feet were coming together!

Last season, he was ready. Derek developed Carlos further and gave him the opportunity to shine. I bet if asked, he'd speak highly of both managers.

[BerlinWaller]

I think it was Drummy rather than Jim that brought Carlos to the club.

[Little Shrimp]

I think it's definitely fair to give JB some credit around CMG given he did initially sign him. He obviously did rate him in some way at some point. But given CMG made no appearances in 20/21 under JB (I think he only featured on the bench a couple of times), it's also fair to say that by this point, JB didn't really rate him much and an exit at the end of the season was likely.

I think JB's philosophy when introducing young talent was dribs and drabs here and there to get them ready etc (589 league minutes in 19/20 - not a lot). It worked for some players, but did not work well for CMG. That's a failing of JB. When DA came in, he saw CMG's talent and pretty promptly chucked him in and backed him to produce. Consequently, CMG repaid the faith DA had shown him by working extremely hard defensively.

So basically - JB did well in signing him in the first place. However, he did a poor job of developing him and bridging the gap to the first team. CMG was a player who needed backing and belief on the pitch, and I don't think JB ever really gave him that.

[Ego Tripping]

Some of this is wide of the mark. Carlos was ill early in the sun 19/20 season and took a while to work his fitness back up. In the background he was doing loads of work on his defensive work and positioning. Was told this directly.

Carlos was recommended to the club by a scout working on our behalf in the Manchester area. JB has final say on his signing and rated him enough to give him contracts. JB absolutely deserves credit for giving him and chance in the first place and DA in further developing him.

[Keith]

JB absolutely deserves credit for giving him and chance in the first place and DA in further developing him.

It is sad that people have become so anti-JB that they refuse to believe any of this. It's like people complaining because Jim didn't play Lief Davis when he was sixteen because he's now played for Leeds a few times.

[redrobo]

Not disputing that JB played Carlos in a number of games (20?) but it was more than likely that JB would have let him go at the end of his contract. It was only under DA that Carlos was given an opportunity to show his talent and the rest is history.

Different managers view and play the same player(s) in different roles. Look at how Aaron has improved under DA scoring more goals than ever before whilst with the club. Aaron was given the freedom to get into the box in a more advanced role.

[RapidShrimp]

JB absolutely deserves credit for giving him and chance in the first place and DA in further developing him.

It is sad that people have become so anti-JB that they refuse to believe any of this. It's like people complaining because Jim didn't play Lief Davis when he was sixteen because he's now played for Leeds a few times.

It’s sad that Carlos was chucked in the reserves. There’s a reason why Carlos mentioned Derek’s trust in him in so many interviews. He was set to be loaned out to some non-league side and become just another forgotten youngster.

[Little Shrimp]

Some of this is wide of the mark. Carlos was ill early in the sun 19/20 season and took a while to work his fitness back up. In the background he was doing loads of work on his defensive work and positioning. Was told this directly.

Carlos was recommended to the club by a scout working on our behalf in the Manchester area. JB has final say on his signing and rated him enough to give him contracts. JB absolutely deserves credit for giving him and chance in the first place and DA in further developing him.

Interesting to hear about his illness - wonder if that explains his stinker against Newport (ironically) at the end of 19/20 before getting taken off at half time?

I'm not convinced that CMG would have flourished in the same way under JB given his cautious approach to introducing young players, seeing how CMG kicked on when DA really empowered him.

But like you say, it is important to acknowledge the role JB played in initially signing him and offering him another contract after 19/20. I also think no blame can be laid at his feet for Leif Davis leaving - big clubs swooping in on young talents before they've hit the first team is relatively common. It's a gamble for the big club, but means they pay comparatively less money. He only ended up playing for Leeds after they had a ludicrous injury crisis.

[red shrimp]

So basically - JB did well in signing him in the first place. However, he did a poor job of developing him and bridging the gap to the first team. CMG was a player who needed backing and belief on the pitch, and I don't think JB ever really gave him that.

CMG was far too positive for Jim's anti football tactics!

[BerlinWaller]

JB absolutely deserves credit for giving him and chance in the first place and DA in further developing him.

It is sad that people have become so anti-JB that they refuse to believe any of this. It's like people complaining because Jim didn't play Lief Davis when he was sixteen because he's now played for Leeds a few times.

Bore off with your divisive shite Keith, nobody is being "anti-Jim".

[Keith]

JB absolutely deserves credit for giving him and chance in the first place and DA in further developing him.

It is sad that people have become so anti-JB that they refuse to believe any of this. It's like people complaining because Jim didn't play Lief Davis when he was sixteen because he's now played for Leeds a few times.

Bore off with your divisive shite Keith, nobody is being "anti-Jim".

Strange how no opportunity is missed to post negatively and claim to know how he thinks and what he would have done, with no evidence whatsoever?

[Freez]

It does come cross a little as anti JB when someone posts Drummy signed Carlos tbf.
It isn’t true, JB and Ken went to watch the trial matches and signed both Lamin and Carlos later that week. However, that isn’t well known either tbf.
What is true, is we will never know what JB would have done with him, but DA played him and he became a regular and from what we know, was one of the first on the team sheet.
So, a combination of the two.
Whatever, as usual there is some daft stuff being posted about who is right, and toddlers starting to throw toys. .
A difference of opinion is fine, don’t have to start throwing mud!!

[BerlinWaller]

It was documented that a scout at a development/satellite camp in Manchester noticed CMG and he was brought in to the development system that is run by Drummy? Drummy posed on the pitch with Carlos and Lamin. Not sure why that is Anti Jim to mention itbut if that is how you want to see it then you are perfectly entitled to do so.

What you can't dispute is that Carlos was pretty much bombed out during Jim's tenure and he was nothing more than a reserve/bit part player. Keith brought up Leif Davies in an attempt to make his post more divisive and you could argue that he should have been in and around the first team squad. Nobody is anti-Jim but not everybody agreed with what he did at times. It is such an old arguement to fetch up and totally pointless.

I do enjoy how kicking one makes the others limp.