Two months ago when Luton Town were in the middle of a rut of bad results, manager Graeme Jones stressed that in order to survive in the Championship this season, new players were needed.
I’m sure if you asked the Hatters boss if in an ideal world more signings would have arrived in January, he probably would have said yes, but one player who came in at Kenilworth Road was Cameron Carter-Vickers on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, and that is looking a huge addition right now.
Goalkeeper Simon Sluga got all the plaudits after the 0-0 draw against Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon, and rightly so for that truly world class save in injury time, but we should not ignore the contribution that the America international provided in the game, and has done since he arrived.
Carter-Vickers may well have arrived at Kenilworth Road with a point to prove after a failed loan spell at Stoke City earlier in the season, and if he did he is certainly doing just that.
From the 20 minutes or so he got in his debut at West Bromwich Albion to now he has barely put a foot wrong, rarely caught out of position and has offered up the composure and assurance that our defence was lacking prior to Christmas.
The result has been clear for all to see. Having gone 31 matches this season with the one clean sheet, the Town now have three in their last six outings, two of which while the Spurs defender has been in the heart of the side.
It isn’t all about one man of course, but there is no doubt his presence, experience and quality has settled the team down, inspiring those around him to perform better and everyone is reaping the benefits of that.
That has led to a marked upturn in results in recent times, offering up the hope that the miracle escape is a genuine possibility.
If we do survive in the Championship this term, regardless of what the future holds for the 22-year-old beyond this campaign, the contribution of Carter-Vickers should never be forgotten.
