Ipswich Town, Rob Edwards news must concern Luton Town supporters: View | OneFootball

Now that the dust has settled on their helter-skelter campaign, Luton Town will begin to plot a return to the top flight.

In many ways, the Hatters have overachieved this season, despite falling short of their Premier League survival goal. Under Rob Edwards, the team remained competitive in the face of adversity and regularly battled to give the division’s top teams a scare on their home patch.

So, in August, when Championship football returns to Kenilworth Road, Luton fans will be desperate to see the 41-year-old remain in the dugout.

While the Hatters have assembled a strong core of first-team players, up to this point, the club’s achievement has been hinged on Edwards' presence, his embedded system, and the coherent style of play he has implemented.

At times throughout Luton’s Premier League campaign, with the team facing an injury crisis, Edwards has successfully coached players into new positions to fit his 3-4-2-1 structure.

With the former Watford boss in charge, the Hatters have overcome a disparity in wealth, squad depth, and resources to first, gain promotion from the second tier, and then sustain their Premier League survival effort until the final day against the odds.

In less than two years in charge, Edwards has become synonymous with Luton. But with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna linked with a move to Brighton following Roberto De Zerbi's exit, he is being lined up as a potential replacement.

Edwards' departure is contingent on McKenna abandoning his Ipswich project in favour of a switch to the South coast. The Luton boss has proven his worth at the Premier League level and deserves to be the subject of such speculation.

Supporters of the Bedfordshire outfit will be watching the McKenna situation unfold from behind the sofa, hoping that the next time Edwards appears in the Premier League, he is managing Luton off the back of Championship success.

Brighton move could be sensible for McKenna following worrying promotion trend.

This season, all three clubs promoted to the Premier League were batted back down to the second tier with little fuss.

While Luton tested Nottingham Forest’s resistance to the drop, the four-point deduction attributed to Nuno Espirito Santos’ team in March kept the Hatter’s survival hopes alive until the final day. In the end, the six-point gap belied the true gulf in quality between the sides.

Below Luton, both Burnley and Sheffield United struggled to cope with the step-up in class and exited the Premier League without leaving a lasting impression.

The gap between the top flight and the second tier feels greater than ever. As a result, McKenna may elect to move to Brighton and continue on an upward curve rather than risk his stock dropping if Ipswich were to endure a disappointing campaign.

Although Luton and Ipswich; Edwards and McKenna will be the subject of comparison due to the similarities between their recent rise and respective achievements against the odds, both managers and clubs operate in distinctly different ways.

If McKenna were to depart Portman Road, it would be interesting to see if Edwards could get one of the most expansive teams in the Championship this season playing compact, resolute football.

For the current Ipswich manager, a move to Brighton could be sensible due to the team’s superior quality but similarly open play style. McKenna would fit in seamlessly at Brighton, and his prospective move could be sensible for both parties.

Edwards' departure could lead to a mass exit at Luton

If Edwards is to leave Luton behind this season and return to the top flight as the Ipswich boss, Hatters fans should be concerned that key players may look to follow their former manager across to East Anglia.

With Gabriel Osho and Luke Berry set to depart Kenilworth Road this summer, the Hatters will have work to do in the upcoming transfer window to plug emerging gaps.

So, if Edwards, too, were to move on this summer, Luton's transfer window could quickly become chaotic.

To add further insult to injury, he would look to import some of his tried-and-tested players upon arrival at his new club.

Star performer Teden Mengi is expected to exit the club after impressing last season; he could head the shortlist and re-unite with his Luton boss elsewhere.

Luton must approach next season with a sense of continuity as they look to make an instant return to the top flight. Although their star manager leaving would be a massive setback, negotiating the knock-on effects a change would have on the squad could prove a harder task.

For the moment, thankfully for Luton supporters, the club is well-placed, and the talk of Edwards’ departure is merely speculation.

However, if the pace picks up and McKenna completes a move to Brighton, the fans of the Championship side will have every right to worry.