Match Thread: Lincoln City v Portsmouth | Page 19 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Lincoln City v Portsmouth

JT_LCFC said:
We Just can’t keep players on the pitch long enough. We can’t cope with Saturday / Tuesday as a result.

Scully not in the squad, Jackson can’t manage two games in succession, same with Bishop. Bridcutt, Hopper, Walsh also injured - we can never play a settled side and it shows.
Click to expand...

And you would hope the club hierarchy are asking questions about why we are enduring a ridiculously high number of injuries.
Things are surely be done wrong in the physio/medical department?
 
impede said:
January is critically important for MA's future I think
Click to expand...

If it's pressure on people than I feel like it's the recruitment team/ Jez and co who need to have a good January as opposed to Mapp. I don't think Appleton can fulfill his general remit (improve players to sell on and advance the club) if the recruitment is like the summer which probably leads to the point your making and a frustration on his part! I'm sure he's involved in signing players to some degree but also can't be happy with how it has turned out.

It's one thing being behind teams with mega budgets who increased their spending this year, another not to actually spend the money (clearly there was more in the pot based on the Hanlan bid and Whittaker signing). It's led to an imbalanced inexperienced squad full of injury prone twiddly number 10 types...the thing that would concern me there is that realistically Mapp is about as good as anyone as we could get in terms of getting something out of them. You couldn't hire a defensive organiser who plays fairly direct and get a tune out of those players, imagine an Ainsworth type having to play with Fiorini, Sorensen, Maguire and Bishop in an 11!
 
Sigiriya said:
One of the most important people we need back in the ranks, in my opinion, is Clive. The City ship clearly needs steadying at the moment from top to bottom and Clive is the man to do that. We really do appear to have missed the visible leadership that he brings to the club whilst he has been stuck in South Aftica and I think there will he a collective sigh of relief when he is back at The Bank, from staff, players and fans alike. The club needs his nous to give the confidence to get the recruitment done properly during the January transfer window. If it doesn't go well again then difficult decisions are going to have to be made at the club by the Chairman for the first time since 2016. It's taken a hell of an effort over the last 5 years to get where we are now. That could all be lost very quickly if we are not careful. In my view, and after watching tonight's performance, we have to accept that with the current playing staff we are now in a relegation fight. Better to accept that and learn how to start to fight now to preserve our League 1 status then blindly ignore the obvious and only start to try and do something about it in March when it will be too late, as happened back in 1987 and 2011.
Click to expand...

Well said.
Previous relegations happened after seemingly unthought of possibility of them ever occurring.
It's no good thinking "January" will solve everything.
All other clubs in the bottom group will also be trying to take measures too. And those in leading group likewise to up their promotion chances.
And it seems budget constraints have all gone out the window. So we will be trying to improve squad in a very difficult transfer market.
 
PortMacImp said:
Perhaps a consolation, Accrington were a shambles against Burton. We may have a chance on Saturday.
Click to expand...

I'm confident we'll do well against Accrington.
Not confident in other games though.
But maybe a good win will boost the players again plus a couple of cup wins would help to and give us something else to look forward to after Christmas (as well as additional funds to try and get some new players in).
 
Cant beat the high press would of thought by now a good coach would have a plan B or even a plan A , said last season we will be in a relagation battle he got lucky last season having 2 £10million wingers on loan .
 
westbank said:
Cant beat the high press would of thought by now a good coach would have a plan B or even a plan A , said last season we will be in a relagation battle he got lucky last season having 2 £10million wingers on loan .
Click to expand...

Just down to those wingers? We were top when the second one arrived.

Worth remembering you coundn't have been more wrong with last years prediction.
 
I do feel a bit sorry for Bishop. He is so obviously not a winger, yet is repeatedly asked to play there. I'm sure it's all worked on at the EPC but it doesn't look natural and he doesnt look happy. I'm not sure how, given he was in theory fit and given recent performances of others, he didn't get a start in central midfield.

Assuming Bridcutt isn't back I'd like to see a midfield three of Bishop, McGrandles and Sanders on Saturday, as other options really do look bereft of confidence and in need of a break. Adelakun & Maguire to play wide/off the striker and then whoever you want up front. Think Draper showed enough to warrant another start and if there is one player the crowd is guaranteed to get behind and 'forgive' more easily (if things go wrong), it's him.
 
HoofGrantBrown said:
I'm confident we'll do well against Accrington.
Not confident in other games though.
But maybe a good win will boost the players again plus a couple of cup wins would help to and give us something else to look forward to after Christmas (as well as additional funds to try and get some new players in).
Click to expand...
The next 3 games are as easy as they’ll get for the rest of the season compared to the normal run of 3 L 1 games
 
westbank said:
Cant beat the high press would of thought by now a good coach would have a plan B or even a plan A , said last season we will be in a relagation battle he got lucky last season having 2 £10million wingers on loan .
Click to expand...
I think Grant, Edun, Hopper, Walsh, Bridcutt had a fair say in how good we were as well, not to mention McGrandles & Eyoma who haven’t performed to the same level.
 
Davidimp said:
I like him , big strong lad puts himself about and has an eye for a forward pass and can score!
Utterly baffled why keep picking Sorensen who's a passenger at times.
Click to expand...

Yeah he really doesn't seem to be fancied which is bizarre when you end up with such a lightweight unbalanced midfield. There must be a reason for it, I'm sure Mapp said something about his concentration once but it would be interesting to understand in a bit more detail. Maybe it's a team shape or instruction thing or something.
 
Rasenimp said:
Yeah he really doesn't seem to be fancied which is bizarre when you end up with such a lightweight unbalanced midfield. There must be a reason for it, I'm sure Mapp said something about his concentration once but it would be interesting to understand in a bit more detail. Maybe it's a team shape or instruction thing or something.
Click to expand...
For me him, Bishop and McGrandles would be a better midfield if Bridcutt isn't fit for Saturday.
 
Davidimp said:
For me him, Bishop and McGrandles would be a better midfield if Bridcutt isn't fit for Saturday.
Click to expand...

I think it would be more robust certainly. Jury still very much out on Sorensen and Fiorini, the latter can shoot from 25 yards but I'm not sure he effects the game enough. Having been to a couple of Eerste Divisie games I suspect you get more time to play at that level (tidy Dutch midfielders knocking it about in a 4-3-3) than L1 so maybe he hasn't quite adapted from that/youth football. Or he'd just look better if we were playing better generally!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.