Lincoln City a carefully constructed team put together by chance.

More interesting reading on the Echo’s website on opposition hacks views on who will be in the final mix for promotion. Not surprisingly no one gives us a prayer. That is probably the view of the vast majority of us fans and the management team only believe we have a chance because they have to for publicity purposes. Still, where there’s life there’s hope as they say so we’ll just keep on supporting, the team will try to garner as many points as they can and we’ll just have to see what happens.

It was something else in the Echo that got me thinking and that something was an interview with Chris Bush. The usual laddish banter if I’m honest, not that there’s anything wrong with that and it’s good to see that the players seem to enjoy each other’s company and thrive on the joshing about. What struck me though was despite Chris Moyses meticulous planning and research pre season what we’ve ended up with, and what gives us hope for the future, is a team far removed from the one that started the season.

That team was of course initially successful and we were just starting to get our hopes up when the wheels fell off good and proper when Liam Hearn decided to go walkabout. More on him later. Back to the defence and I think we’re all agreed that the catalyst for the recent revival has been the recruitment of Jamie McCombe. The real conundrum is Bush. Do you think he’s our next best centre half after McCombe? Me neither. Would you leave him out to put Waterfall or Howe back in at the moment? Me neither.

Back to our friend Hearn and the Echo report he’s gone to Harrogate on a season long loan although at the time of writing no confirmation on the club website. In my view he won’t be back and the reason I think that is the form of current strikers Matt Rhead and Jack Muldoon. There’s another conundrum. Who’d have thought that would be the way the Imps strike force would pan out?

We then come to midfield or rather, this being Lincoln City, those parts of the team not comprising defence or attack. That bares little relationship to the one that started out. I think Alan Power has had probably his best season with us although for a team captain he gets subbed a lot. Tempest has forced his way into the side with aplomb and James Caton is very much in our thoughts when it comes to who we fans would like to be watching next season. Injuries muddy the waters still further.

Perhaps I’m merely highlighting the obvious, the best City sides I’ve witnessed have not always happened by design, managers too, Graham Taylor and Keith Alexander to name but two and we really shouldn’t be complaining about a season that has produced so many wins and good performances at home. The opposition don’t give us a hope. Fair enough, we’ll see.