City shaded the affair for around 70 minutes until Danny Collins hit an 18-minute hat-trick to turn the match in the Hatters’ favour.

Kieran Dowell had equalised for City shortly after Collins scored his first from the spot but it wasn’t enough to help his team take anything from the game.

Speaking to canaries.co.uk afterwards, Zimmermann said: “It’s very disappointing. There’s hardly anything positive to take from it. This is going to be the reality week-in, week-out and we need to be up for it, otherwise we’ll struggle.

“It’s difficult to explain. In the end, 3-1 looks bad and it is bad, but it was our aim to survive in the first round of the cup. But the truth is, until the penalty Luton didn’t have one shot on target.

“So yes, it’s below what we want to do and below our expectations, but it wasn’t like they played us off the park. It was a game on a Championship level and game of two sides on a similar level but obviously they were clinical.

“We didn’t give a chance away until the 70^th minute but then after that, we allowed them to have three goals.

“We need to get our heads around this but first of all, we have to learn from this game. We have to learn our lessons and learn quickly.

“I never like to lose a game but the best thing we can do is learn the right lessons to be better prepared not just for 75 minutes because the game’s are 90 minutes.

“We need to make sure we focus for 90 minutes.”

Zimmermann is pleased with the fresh blood at the club, with City bringing in no fewer than 11 new faces over the summer.

“Obviously, they are good additions to the squad, especially Jordan [Hugill] up-front. He provides something we didn’t have before. That’s a good option for us.

“The other lads have only been together with us for three weeks now. Therefore, it will take time but we certainly need to improve.”

6

Christoph

Zimmermann

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