Unaccustomed as I am…….

I suppose there’s never a bad time to win but with Tranmere suddenly finding form it was just as well that City did the business at home on Saturday.

There has been much conjecture over the reasons for City’s return to, if not winning ways, to picking up points with most of the speculation centering around the defence. I think that too but for me it’s the return of Bozzie as much as who plays out of Shackell Bolger and Sheehan that has mde the difference.

I thought Bolger was harshly treated, not for the first time and not for the same manager but I suppose what really matters is points and the Imps are picking in them up at the right time.

Also on everyone lips was the sparking in to life of Tom Hopper. It’s not a moment too soon but with Scully hitting the ground running maybe we won’t be missing Tyreece John Jules too much.

Saturday was one of those games I’d really have enjoyed if I knew the result in advance. I’m not going to say all the pieces are falling into place because the old frailties are still there but it was good to see some resilience from the Imps in coming back from behind twice and then scoring the winner, just like Accrington did a couple of weeks ago. The pleasing thing is the nature of the goals. I’d imagined with the strike force being down to the bare bones City would had been practicing free kicks, throw in’s and corners. They may have been but the goals, when they came were vintage Appleton.

That’s not to say there wasn’t a hint of the training ground about the goals with something for everyone in the build up but by the same token, the usual defensive looking at each other as the ball was retrieved from the net. Another two goals shipped at home, that really has to change if were ever to be a decent side but lets not be too picky, a wins a win.

Until City are mathematically safe every game is an important one and none more so than Tranmere this weekend. Avoiding defeat, at least, will consign Tranmere to a continuation of the jitters.

Personally I’d sooner have the Imps playing important games. We saw at the end of last season City don’t respond well to a lack of purpose at the end of a campaign but having said that, there’s not now much similarity between last years team that limped over the line and this seasons version. There’ll be further important dissimilarities next season too, I’d imagine.

Life in the spotlight. Not always easy.

You may consider the life of the professional footballer something of a cushy number. Pay well above your average employee and very favourable hours, if you don’t count Christmas.

What about when it all starts to go wrong though? When you get to the end of your career and you just can’t do it anymore. Not the way you used to. The fans are critical, worse than that. The manager calls you in the office. You know where this is going, Jason Shackell.

Shacks is arguably the finest centre half Lincoln City ever employed, yes I was around when Paul Morgan graced the Sincil Bank turf but in my opinion, no Jason Shackell, no promotion to league one.

The writing was on the wall at Carlisle last season in my view. A very large number of Imps assembled, me included expecting a coronation. What we got was a reality check and confirmation that our much vaunted captain was a mere mortal. If my memory serves me correctly a second bookable offence, very shortly after the first.

Not that I blame the sending off for the loss. Promotion, for me was achieved in as comprehensives away performance as you’ll see, at MK Dons. After that, the highest point of the season the rest was a slide over the line. City were duly promoted but displaying relegation form.

But Shacks trooped off the pitch at Carlisle and, with the benefit of hindsight, that was the end of a glittering Imps career. He was still good, but he had been superb. It’s a great shame. Someone once said a Prime Ministers career invariably ends in failure, you could say the same of footballers, the really good ones at least.

Now. We hear the club are in negotiation with Shackells representatives to end his City career. No send off, no final bow. It’s a great shame but indicative of the clubs new approach. No passengers.

Of course the worry is the other end, with the injury to Tyreece John-Jules. The goings on in the transfer window not looking such a good thing now. Somebody up there seems to have abandoned us, at least for the moment.