"Really, really poor" - Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit reacts to Paul Merson's Luton Town claim | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively to FLW, Lee Hendrie has been speaking on Luton Town's collapse this season following Merson's "flabbergasted" claim.

Luton Town are staring at back-to-back relegations with just nine games to play in the Championship, and speaking exclusively with Football League World, Lee Hendrie has agreed with Paul Merson's "flabbergasted" claim on the trajectory of their season.

The Hatters' return to the second tier hasn't gone to plan, with many expecting them to be among the promotion contenders battling for an instant return to the Premier League.

However, Town find themselves two points adrift of safety with only Plymouth Argyle below them after 37 games played, as they prepare to welcome play-off chasing Middlesbrough to Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

"Massive, massive fall" - Lee Hendrie agrees with Paul Merson's Luton Town claim

Paul Merson recently admitted to being "flabbergasted" at the nature of Luton's collapse this season, and fellow Sky Sports pundit Hendrie has exclusively told FLW that he agrees with "The Magic Man".

He said: "Yes, Paul Merson alluded to the situation at Luton and how there season has collapsed. Obviously, I'm shocked how it's gone to be honest, and I do agree with him.

"I think the fall from coming out of the Premier League and competing with the top teams, they've really shown that they were capable of digging deep and actually competing with some of the top clubs in the Premier League last season.

"It's a massive, massive fall isn't it? To think that they could go again with back-to-back relegations. That would be such a disappointment, particularly when, yes, they only lost a few key players.

"I mean Ross Barkley and Albert Sambi Lokonga were big players for them in that midfield area. But, they still kept hold of the likes of Carlton Morris, Elijah Adebayo, Alfie Doughty; these were players that were linked away from the football club.

"Yes, there will always be a bit of a hangover, but I thought Luton and the calibre of player that they have and had at the football club, and under Rob Edwards, I just felt that they would bounce back and go again.

"But, you have a taste of the Premier League and the disappointment, and some of them players maybe not getting the moves that they thought they were going to get, it's proved costly.

"Now Matt Bloomfield is trying to get them going, and trying to keep them in the Championship which is going to be an important factor for them. Particularly that this season has been really, really poor from where they were and what they've achieved."

Luton Town don't appear to have an easy escape route out of Championship danger

Bloomfield and his squad will only be concerned about the next game, but he'll be well aware of what's coming down the road, and it's not what he'd want to see given the situation his team find themselves in.

With nine games to play starting this weekend, the Hatters still have to take on Middlesbrough, Leeds, Blackburn, Bristol City, Coventry, and West Brom respectively; all of whom have Premier League promotion aspirations.

In-between those fixtures, Luton will also contest some relegation six-pointers against the likes of Hull, Stoke and Derby respectively.

As such, if Luton Town are going to emerge the victors in their relegation battle, they are going to have to do it the hard way.