Two nil and, well, you know the rest.

 

Oh dear. It was all going so well. City, unrecognisable from the stuttering losers of the last few weeks. The tweaks made to the team, no doubt forced on the manager but nevertheless working had me thinking we might be ok here.

Then, a well finished oggie and, best of all an MK player falling over in his own box, I’ll just grab the ball like I’ve seen on the telly, penalty! How we laughed.

Chris Maguire stepped up to take the kick, smiles wiped off faces but no, in it goes, two nil. What could possibly go wrong?

Yet, at the back of my mind, if MK get a goal, that’s it. We’ll cave in. It didn’t happen in the first half although Dons were certainly getting in the game. Get to half time, let Michael give the team a few pointers and with Scully on the bench it’s looking good. There was an unaccustomed round of applause at the half time whistle. Yes the team were patched up. Yes there were one or two scruffy moments but this was a team that have turned the corner, right? Wrong. It’s not the Lincoln City of a couple of years ago it’s the here and now and right now nothing is going right. Nothing.

You can blame the manager, plenty are, not me but plenty are but, for me, after the euphoria of last season we are right back to earth with a bump and Lincoln City are struggling to compete financially. The expected loan signing didn’t materialise. We don’t know the circumstances but possibly other signings didn’t happen either. If City had a goal poacher to stick an unspectacular foot on a cross, you know which one I’m talking about, the Imps win the game and plenty of others too.

We don’t however so we are left with the hope that, assuming the player is who we think, he will score the goals and galvanise the team to rescue the precarious position they’re in and end the season still in league one. After Saturday, for the first time, I allowed myself the possibility that we will not but I look at the good bits and still think we have enough quality to survive. It’s worth remembering though, that the worst that can happen is we end up in league two and, in my view, were now far better than that level.

I’m sure you’d rather not but, looking at the second half it was the usual story. MK Dons did get their goal, poor from us and, as predicted, got another then got their winner from a shot that was going anywhere but in the goal. When your luck’s out………

Help me doctor. I’m suffering from passbacks.

 

Regular readers of this blog will know I claim no particular mastery of tactics. But even I know the likelihood of scoring a goal diminishes the further away from that white rectangle you are.

Thus, City, with moments go before the end of the match, staring another defeat in the face, were studiously heading away from the supposedly intended target. Players, it seems to me, are unwilling to put themselves in the way of criticism by actually getting in a position to have a swing at a ball flashed across the goal area and as we all know, if you don’t have a go, you don’t score. That, in a nutshell appears to be the problem at the moment.

Having said all that Chris Maguire, a player I regard as one of City’s more skilful, did somehow conspire to send a shot over the roof of the stand, a feat I’ve rarely seen in sixty years of presenting myself at Sincil Bank in the hope of being entertained. That’s the way it is presently.

I’m told the team endured a chorus of boos at the end. I heard some booing but it wasn’t that much, certainly over in the more genteel surroundings of the library. Those I did hear seemed to be the result of said Mr Maguire supposedly telling a fan or some fans where to get off. I don’t mind that to be honest. I’d sooner a defeat hurt the players than not. It certainly hurt me. You can tell me I’m wrong, I frequently am, but pound for pound I thought City’s players were better than Hartlepool’s were, not that it made any difference as the game took on a now familiar pattern of City fashioning some good attacking play, failed to convert any of it, our opponents had one chance, or it seemed like that, ball in the net and as we all know after that it’s goodnight Vienna.

What do we do about it? Well I’ve heard the inevitable calls for the managers head. I can’t in all honesty see what good that will do. I do wonder about Michael Appleton’s health though, well we know about it. The trouble is, like the Queen, he can’t really take a couple of weeks off to recuperate from his recent travails so we wait, I guess for the sound of galloping hooves as the cavalry arrives to relieve the beleaguered garrison. At least I hope they do.

I‘ve often thought, in the last few years, we’ve had more than our fair share of luck. In those moments we were enduring with City supposedly heading for defeat, those skywards glances hoping for divine intervention were sometimes answered and even the most desperate situations were occasionally turned around. Not anymore. Just rain, rain and more rain.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 

Hard times.

 

There were two good things about Saturday. Firstly my football going partner Stewart decided to park a bit closer to the stadium than usual and secondly his car has heated seats. I’ve never been so cold as that walk back to the car and those two aspects were the only prompters of cheer.

It doesn’t help that the football produced no moments of inspiration, excitement, pride or hope frankly. I sat there willing a goal but in my heart of hearts I just knew it wasn’t going to happen.

I missed the Portsmouth game, that was certainly a moment of inspiration and I suppose I had expected a bounce back from that reverse with all the players busting a gut to put on a show and when we heard that Accrington were travelling over on the day, I think that is a rarity in league one, and they were delayed on the road I felt genuinely sorry for the handful of away fans in at kick off and for the away team for that matter running the stiffness out of their limbs.

I needn’t have bothered as the Accrington following, boosted considerably when the supporters coach arrived had the last laugh as their team, let’s say ordinary at best, pounced on a loose ball that Griffiths could only parry and got the only goal of the game. Were you expecting City to get back in the game after that? Me neither.

I won’t criticise lack of effort, that was there certainly but anything else by way of game plan, tactics, passing (don’t start me off) awareness and general will to win were nowhere to be seen.

I didn’t envy those who had to choose man of the match. I’d have given it, as the sponsors did, to young Draper. At least he put himself about. Whether he should have been on the pitch in the latter stages I’d question as he got a heavy knock, the rough treatment testament, I’d like to think to his potential.

Stanley used every trick in the book to stay ahead. That’s as much appreciation as criticism, I’d have hoped City would have done the same in the circumstance, I’ve certainly seen us do that many a time.

As the game dragged on to I started to think of the fiver I’ve invested in the cup game. Can’t be as bad as that. Can it?

A tale of two Cities.

 

I’m not a great one for away games these days and I don’t usually avail myself of the delights of i follow. Unlike last season which, in the memory seems to have been so unlikely but, like you I suspect I watched nearly all the games, home and away through that usually one eyed medium.

Everyone was talking last night about Wigan being the latest moneybags outfit. They didn’t like that much did they? Wigan fans protested that their team cost nothing in transfer fees but that is only half of the story and as many pointed out the sort of players they have attracted aren’t there because the Latics used to be quite famous.

Last season was different and City were able to compete on more equal terms because of the salary cap but you could tell who had the money because the production values on i follow were much better. Needless to say City couldn’t afford any fancy dan dual camera arrangements.

Anyway, my own set up for away games usually comprises, lap top, for twitter, my DAB radio and Sky on the i pad. This frees up my phone for whatsapp messages to my co sufferer Stewart. City, as we know tore into Wigan and at two nil I messaged to ask why City can display such a lack of cutting edge against Wimbledon and yet go to Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic and do so well, Come to think of it, I’m still waiting for a reply.

If you’re looking for a tactical analysis you’re in the wrong place, as I’ve pointed out several times before but it has to be something to do with the way the Imps are set up although we all, I suspect, fall into the trap of saying, defeat, bad performance, win, good performance.

Back to i player or You Tube probably, a different story emerges as the highlights are viewed. City maybe aren’t as bad as we assumed and indeed Michael Appleton is adamant that City played well in the defeat to Wimbledon. As fans of course we question that view as no points were accrued but managers see matters differently to us.

Not for the first time I find myself agonising over the fact that City are saving their best performances for away games. I’m not complaining as the name of the game, as far as I'm concerned, is preserving our place in the division in the first instance. I’m quite hopeful that either the planned reinforcements may materialise after Christmas or other targets with any luck can be secured but I’m not so swept away by recent success to think every season can be a winning one.

If I could be so bold a little bit of the stardust of the last two away performances wouldn’t go amiss this Saturday at home though. I’m sure you’d like that too?

Perfect Day.

 

You know how managers are always happiest with a one-nil scoreline? Well with me it’s a last minute winner particularly when it’s against a jumped up, we shouldn’t be in this league you know club and a ridiculous manager who can’t tell the truth about the latest defeat, we were rubbish, but that hides behind a highly scientific we did this because, we did that so that...

Nigel Adkins can’t tell the truth about Charlton’s latest setback, they were really poor, because he’s a whisker away from the sack. In fact I’m a little surprised he hasn’t gone before now because, you know, we can’t be losing to little old Lincoln can we?

Anyway, to the game. Are we at a turning point in the season? I’d like to think so but with Walsh back, McGrandles returned and playing to something like the standard of last season, Maguire showing he’s the player we and the manager thought we were getting and in fact the whole team looking like it’s had a service. When you factor in Lewis Montsma looks a considerably better player alongside Walsh and Bridcutt and Hopper to come back (In Hoppers case eventually) there’s cause for optimism.

Of course the injuries can return or different players end up on the treatment table, let’s not worry about that till it happens but, for the moment it’s wonderful to see, presumably, what the manager was hoping for when he constructed this latest side. We were saying on Saturday what an elegant player Joe Walsh is, I’d even say he reminds me of Beckenbauer or Bobby Moore, in our own humble way of course. Older readers will know, there’s no higher praise than that. Add in Chris Maguire, Liam Bridcutt and Lewis Fiorini, we’ve got some classy players to admire and after a day like Saturday some others who catch the eye. Personally I wouldn’t like to have to have picked man of the match after that game. I can think of half a dozen who might have got the accolade but Chris Maguire would have picked up the trophy if it were up to me.

Court Jester award goes to Nigel Adkins although he was pushed hard by our referee. I see another circus is arriving on the common. I’d get CV’s ready, the pair of you.

Battling City get the point.

I’ve never for one moment believed City would be in trouble this season. Saturdays game v Plymouth Argyle said to me I was right in that view. Argyle are a good side and City came back from behind, twice to take a share of the points. For a while, at the start, not for the first time this season, I thought the Imps were destined for a win but chances came and went and, if I’m honest maybe it wasn’t that much of a surprise that Plymouth scored.

Being realistic, I couldn’t see any way back for the Imps at that point but they proved me wrong with, firstly the sort of scuffed effort from Sorensen that you start to think is the only way we’re going to get back into the game. Someone said, we just need the ball to cannon off someones backside or something like that. Sorensens effort was in that category I thought. I don’t think the manager is that chuffed with Sorensen judging by his comments but, scuffed or not, when you factor in getting tripped in the box it was his two involvements that got us the point.

Do I sound a bit down? I actually came away from the LNER quite buoyed up. Any thoughts that City may kick on from last season and do well again are firmly on the back burner, if indeed I ever had them which I don’t think I did. It was quite obvious that last season presented a great opportunity for the likes of City as it was a much more level playing field. If that’s a pun, sorry but the bigger clubs weren’t able to spend their way out of the division and the Imps were competing on far more equal terms. Anyway, that was then and this is now.

It was a mammoth struggle to get back into the game. That’s what its going to be this season and for the future. When you see games being postponed because of international commitments, in league one, it brings home the quality of players competing in the division. I’m not sure that was the case previously. Actually, the enforced day off may well work in the Imps favour, as it has in the past. Two more limped off on Saturday and you do wonder if the manager will ever have a full squad of players to choose from. Some are questioning the choice of players who don’t have a great injury record. It’s worked in the past. Are we coming unstuck with that policy?

There’s no doubt in my mind if and when City do get in that happy position they will pick up points far more readily but in the meantime we fight on. As previously mentioned Plymouth are a more than decent outfit and City equalled them, so we’ve got to be satisfied with that. Kind of on the same subject Argyles fans made a fair old racket and I thought we equalled them in that too, particularly at the end when a wall of noise roared our heroes over the finish line.

On reflection then, are we downhearted? Not a bit of it.

 

City dismantle Cambridge United. Not surprised were you?

 

If the powers that be had the same mindset as, say Germany, the A15 from the Humber Bridge to Peterborough would be either a motorway or at least a dual carriageway, and the A1 through the county would be the A1(M).

As it is, as evidenced by the recent traffic mayhem in the city the government regards Lincoln, insofar as it has any idea we exist at all, as a small town in the countryside so the journey to Cambridge, instead of a short hop down the Eastern side of the land becomes something of a trek but nevertheless that didn’t deter a four figure number climbing aboard our tractors, combine harvesters and rotavators to the lovely city of Cambridge where our heroes threw off their early season torpor and proceeded to rough up the locals to the tune of five-one with, it has to be said a fair degree of panache.

Where did that come from I hear you say or maybe you didn’t as the signs have been there for all to see or rather all to hear because the big Apple has been telling us that the team would come good round about now.

Which does rather make the angst and despondency somewhat misplaced. As recently as a couple of weeks ago I was asked by a friend if I thought the Imps would avoid relegation this season. I can honestly say that notion never entered my head.

In fact all the signs that City were getting their act together was in evidence at the Papa Johns game which I know some of you don’t attend but we did and were treated to quite a display albeit featuring the sort of defensive lapse which suggested that the Imps hadn’t quite turned the corner but there was a hint at least that point wasn’t too far away.

So are we about to enter the autumn with something like a head of steam? Well we’ll soon find out but at least in the meantime those that were at Cambridge, and that didn’t include me, were treated to what I have heard was possibly City’s best away performance ever. All I can say is if it was better than MK Dons just before securing promotion from League Two it will have been some spectacle. The bits I did see, the goals basically, meant Tuesdays visit of Rotherham can’t come soon enough and lets hope City continue in the same vein.

Hopefully then club will be able to field stronger line ups from now on, not that the teams put out were weak particularly but City have struggled for consistency hitherto and disappointed us to a certain extent but we can’t say we weren’t warned that this was going to be the case because we were.