Match Thread: Lincoln City v Shrewsbury Town

[mikeosullivan]

Wrong team selection (Gotts, Anderson and Elbo should all have started). Wrong substitions (or rather, lack of them). Wrong analysis of the game in the post match interview.

I just hope MA takes a second look at the game and realises how poor we were and makes changes for Saturday. Yes we have injuries, but there were players on the bench tonight that could have won that game for us.

 

[The Imposter]

Wrong team selection (Gotts, Anderson and Elbo should all have started). Wrong substitions (or rather, lack of them). Wrong analysis of the game in the post match interview.

I just hope MA takes a second look at the game and realises how poor we were and makes changes for Saturday. Yes we have injuries, but there were players on the bench tonight that could have won that game for us.

I didn't get the impression he thought we were poor by his post-match comments. 'We did all they were asked... apart from score.' He was very bullish. Interestingly he mentioned he thought about bringing Gotts on, but no mention of Elbouzedi.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Hasn't Jones mentioned doing extra work on his shooting? Don't remember him having a single pop at goal tonight.

He did have a left foot shot from some distance out.

 

[MaineRoad_96]

Wrong team selection (Gotts, Anderson and Elbo should all have started). Wrong substitions (or rather, lack of them). Wrong analysis of the game in the post match interview.

I just hope MA takes a second look at the game and realises how poor we were and makes changes for Saturday. Yes we have injuries, but there were players on the bench tonight that could have won that game for us.

Lucky we’ve got you to put him right.

 

[plumbob]

He did have a left foot shot from some distance out.

Also, missed by some distance. I was just happy to see us shoot.
Hopefully things will pick up again when we gets Bridcutt and McGrandles back. Allow Grant to get further forward, he's still the only player that I can see making anything happen against any side with above average organisation.

 

[imps_joe]

No lack of endeavour but a massive lack of end product and questionable substitutes.

Shrewsbury will certainly be the the happier set of fans following the two recent results. I'd personally rather the 3 points.

 

[Bucksimp]

Shrewsbury must have been delighted they didn’t have to face Zack again. Scully too wide and deep for me and would like to have seen Anderson on sooner.

I agree to a large extent, but that was a very different Shrewsbury team. Cotterill more or less used that game to look at his fringe players. Our so called B team was much better than their B team on the night.
Basically Shrewsbury were already quite hard to score against and Cotterill has just put out his best team to do a smash and grab raid against both us and Hull. It worked. It was fairly predictable tonight. Hull couldn't break them down and nor could we.
I would have liked to have seen a more gung ho approach from MA with subs sooner rather than later. A full house at the Bank might have forced his hand a bit more in this respect.
So long as we are exceeding pre-season expectations however, he can do what he likes.

 

[imps_joe]

Our opponents seem to be learning that we are a pressing team, but, we can't cope so well when we are pressed by them. Shrews did exactly this in the first half which resulted in Montsma's error and their goal.
After that it looked like we would never score.
I hope we can bring in new players soon as we need a proven goalscorer.

The thing is, we knew that after the the first handful of games. We should have a plan of teams press us high up the pitch. Currently I see no differentiation or adjustment to how teams play against us.

 

[PerthImp]

A fairly frustrating and uninspiring game, and one which did very little to counter the negativity (including mine) following Saturday. Maybe they were in a state of shock that they were thumped 4 - 0 and this was a hangover . Once again we didn’t live up to expectations based on our early season performances (it’s amazing how a run of superb results and performances raises the bar of ongoing expectations) when we played some excellent, fluid, flowing football that bamboozled most of our opponents. Many of the players are young and learning the game and they are experiencing the downside at the moment, which is not a bad thing. I do wonder though how hard the relentless fixtures and injuries are taking their toll. It must be tough for MA as perhaps it is worse than he is letting on, and he has a responsibility to protect the young players as well as expose them, especially those on loan.
On the plus side, we’ve had an amazing start to the season - one I don’t think many of us saw coming. We have lost two on the bounce, which is not disastrous, but we have a game in hand which, if we won, would put us back top of the table . 18 Pts to safety before Christmas, when we’re not even halfway through the fixtures, takes much of the pressure off for the second half of the season. We are a work in progress so we just need to grit our teeth, see what January brings (a goal scorer and a LB please, at least ). MA seems to know exactly what he wants with players etc and he has shown us so far what an excellent coach he is so let’s just be patient and see what the next step is.

 

[DEEPING IMP]

I am just happy that with all the problems COVID has created we have a great board and manager. We are also not in a relegation battle. With all these run of fixtures teams are going to have bad runs.

 

[bristolimp]

What is the difference between a top league 1 team and the rest - the ability to mix it up and quickly. Doncaster look a very good team for this.

let’s not kid ourselves we are a mid table league 1 team who happened to be in 2nd place before the start of last nights match. Is this good fortune due to the fixture lit?

if it was the World Cup final and a team was one nil down in the last 5 mins would they continue to play the nice tippy tappy stuff - no they would play John Beck ball.

my one criticism of the current tactics is we are either incapable or unwilling to have a plan B. This is very frustrating as in most points in life a bit flexibility is not a bad thing. There is no harm in mixing it up.

i don’t watch the midweek matches as I am usually on my way home from work but to be honest I can imagine it must be the greatest thing on tv (when it goes right) or the worst thing to watch (Last night).

Listening to the coverage our defeat last night was as predictable as a soap opera storyline. Huff and puff possession that didn’t hurt the opposition undone by 1 clinical attack from them.

no doubt Appleton is a good coach - he has made Anderson and Grant better players. You can see why is was coaching in the top flight. unfortunately I dont think his management and in game tactics are that strong.

Appleton is a coach Cowley is a manager

 

[Brendan Bradley]

...undone by 1 clinical attack from them.

I assume you only listened and didn't actually see it?

 

[Luke Imp]

What is the difference between a top league 1 team and the rest - the ability to mix it up and quickly. Doncaster look a very good team for this.

let’s not kid ourselves we are a mid table league 1 team who happened to be in 2nd place before the start of last nights match. Is this good fortune due to the fixture lit?

if it was the World Cup final and a team was one nil down in the last 5 mins would they continue to play the nice tippy tappy stuff - no they would play John Beck ball.

my one criticism of the current tactics is we are either incapable or unwilling to have a plan B. This is very frustrating as in most points in life a bit flexibility is not a bad thing. There is no harm in mixing it up.

i don’t watch the midweek matches as I am usually on my way home from work but to be honest I can imagine it must be the greatest thing on tv (when it goes right) or the worst thing to watch (Last night).

Listening to the coverage our defeat last night was as predictable as a soap opera storyline. Huff and puff possession that didn’t hurt the opposition undone by 1 clinical attack from them.

no doubt Appleton is a good coach - he has made Anderson and Grant better players. You can see why is was coaching in the top flight. unfortunately I dont think his management and in game tactics are that strong.

Appleton is a coach Cowley is a manager

We literally had one of the hardest starts to the season out of all L1 teams. Hull and Posh had one of the easiest.

 

[bristolimp]

I assume you only listened and didn't actually see it?

yes I was driving from the radio it sounded like we gifted it to them and the chap (a blast from our non league games) finished no problem something we struggle to do

 

[impsimps]

I cannot believe he did not get on the pitch tonight. He gives Howarth the whole match, after impressing last week, which was good to see, but completely ignored Elbouzedi. Makes no sense.

Unless there is something we dont know about, the last name the other lot would have wanted to see on the team sheet was Zac, must have been relieved when he was only bench warming. Didnt hear the post match stuff, but did anybody ask the question why not , somehow doubt it !

 

[Co-op Stand Imp]

If no-one has said it, it was also an unfortunate time to play Sunderland and Shrewsbury, both with new managers. Fact not an excuse.

 

[brisimp]

4th after 17 games
Very Good board
Very good manager
Very good team
Hit by injuries as all teams do at times
Lets not be too harsh Ma will know whats wrong we can all too be critical at times

 

[German Imp]

Unless there is something we dont know about, the last name the other lot would have wanted to see on the team sheet was Zac, must have been relieved when he was only bench warming. Didnt hear the post match stuff, but did anybody ask the question why not , somehow doubt it !

Questions like that don’t get asked unfortunately. It is all very cosy, with observations such as wouldn’t it be great to have the fans back for example.

 

[Skip155]

What is the difference between a top league 1 team and the rest - the ability to mix it up and quickly. Doncaster look a very good team for this.

let’s not kid ourselves we are a mid table league 1 team who happened to be in 2nd place before the start of last nights match. Is this good fortune due to the fixture lit?

if it was the World Cup final and a team was one nil down in the last 5 mins would they continue to play the nice tippy tappy stuff - no they would play John Beck ball.

my one criticism of the current tactics is we are either incapable or unwilling to have a plan B. This is very frustrating as in most points in life a bit flexibility is not a bad thing. There is no harm in mixing it up.

i don’t watch the midweek matches as I am usually on my way home from work but to be honest I can imagine it must be the greatest thing on tv (when it goes right) or the worst thing to watch (Last night).

Listening to the coverage our defeat last night was as predictable as a soap opera storyline. Huff and puff possession that didn’t hurt the opposition undone by 1 clinical attack from them.

no doubt Appleton is a good coach - he has made Anderson and Grant better players. You can see why is was coaching in the top flight. unfortunately I dont think his management and in game tactics are that strong.

Appleton is a coach Cowley is a manager

I mean there is literally not a single paragraph I agree with in this with the possible exception of the first one. As Luke pointed out some if it just had no basis in the facts.

It’s been a disappointing 4 days but let’s not let that override 3+ months of excellent work.

 

[imps_joe]

Once again we didn’t live up to expectations based on our early season performances (it’s amazing how a run of superb results and performances raises the bar of ongoing expectations) when we played some excellent, fluid, flowing football that bamboozled most of our opponents. Many of the players are young and learning the game and they are experiencing the downside at the moment, which is not a bad thing. I do wonder though how hard the relentless fixtures and injuries are taking their toll. It must be tough for MA as perhaps it is worse than he is letting on, and he has a responsibility to protect the young players as well as expose them, especially those on loan.

The intense fixture list does seem to be affecting us, and to be fair, everyone else. Lots of surprising results and teams struggling to keep up good form. As you have said, the injury list really hasn't helped (some key players). We seem to be more laboured, less energetic and missing that speed of attack.

Teams know how to defend against us and once we go behind it can be difficult to play counter attacking football and we look limited. If we go ahead in a game we will look dangerous again.... I hope anyway.