We know what to expect. Translation. We know what to expect as long as Lincoln City play like they did last season.

Port Vale ought to have known what to expect, they shipped four goals last time, this time it was six. The gap between the teams should have been greater but for an uncharacteristic slip up and a referee exercising a bizarre handicap system based on sympathy presumably.

It’s becoming a reassuring aspect of the build up to a game, a manager or player claiming to be well aware of what the Imps are about this season, then showing they have no idea as they describe a playing style that got City out of the National League. Not that it matters really as, ready or not mostly they are shoved out of the way (Port Vale, Exeter) or huff and puff to little effect (Crewe). On each occasion the manager normally has his excuses ready by the Thursday before the game or if not maybe a mealy mouth justification. We won on points, we’re the guardians of the spirit of the game, not like those ruffians from Lincoln. Either way, City remain four points clear of the next contender taking advantage of clear waters ahead.

Looking forward a little and I’ll admit here that I got this idea from Tommo on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, it will not be all that long to the Christmas programme and a time when complacency has to be avoided. It is quite clear now that Lincoln City have the best squad and certainly the best management team. In order to maintain their supremacy City need to be thinking how things can stay that way by carefully adding to the strength of the player roster. Carefully because we don’t want to upset the apple cart but City have been at the head of the league in mid winter before (not that it feels even remotely wintry at the moment) and not strengthened and paid the price. Now, presumably, there are funds available, not necessarily to buy but there must be managers in league one or even the championship who would like a player or two to come to Lincoln and be part of a winning side, getting that winning mentality. I’d be surprised if the Cowleys aren’t way ahead of me in this thinking.

However, here we are at the end of another highly satisfactory week, another team who claimed to know what to expect but couldn’t deal with it. Here’s Scott Brown, Vales goalkeeper “They’re not even as big as last year” Well, if that’s your preparation, think back to last year you get what you deserve. Nothing.