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

Match Thread: Lincoln City v Bury

Anyone looking objectively at the start of the season should come to the conclusion that if football was decided by what you deserve to get we would be on 3 points right now, and things would look very different.

That we are joint top is down to the quality of the players even allowing for some poor performances (this evening Bostwick and Earsdsley were way below their best), compared with our opponents who can't finish us off.

While nicking seven points in four games is, of course, a good thing, it can't be relied upon indefinitely. I understand the reason for the player rotation and all the players used so far are more than capable, and I like the fact that the play is more progressive this season.

What I don't like are the changes in formation and tactics each game. The very top sides always play the same way regardless of who's in their side. I accept that sometimes you have to tweak it depending on who you're playing or the state of the game (eg extra holding midfielder, or additional striker).

We have sound defenders, a lot of creativity, a couple of quick wide men and three strikers who can all be relied upon to score. The sooner a settled way of playing is found, the better.
 
I, and pretty much everyone around me in the co-op thought we were VERY poor last night. No idea how they ended up winning. Must do better if we are thinking about promotion this season. Some of the passing and crosses were woeful. There were too many times we either gave the ball away, or simply kicked it to an area of the pitch for the sake of nothing.

Think we are trying to find a style of play which suits us. When we find it, I do think we'll be pretty lethal.

Still, it's a win
 
nlondonimp said:
i haven't seen one decent ball through for akinde yet, or a decent cross for him to attack. the only goal from open play he made himself. a quick look at his showreel and it is clear to see where he is at his most dangerous.
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I think he is at his most dangerous from the penalty spot !
Still not good for the nerves - his run up. His penalty record is 33 successful out of 40 attempts (82.5%) - so as long as it works it's ok with me.
 
It might suit us in the longer term, and I hope it does, but there's too much chopping and changing IMO. Not in personnel, but in formations, too. 3 or 4 different formations in our opening 5?

It feels like we're trying to be too clever at times and tinkering for the sake of it.

One thing we haven't necessarily been in the last couple of years is clinical. This season, it feels a little like roles reversed because we appear to have been so.
 
I thought Pett was again outstanding last night and has to start whatever formation we choose. The moment we switched to two wide men after half time and asked Harry and Andrade to push their wing backs back we looked far more on the front foot.

I thought it was really interesting Eardley twice looked to knock the ball long to Akinde but ended up passing it short and then gesticulated to Akinde that he needed to move into space...
 
I said before the season started that Tom Pett would come into his own this season and I think last night and his previous appearances this season have demonstrated that he has the potential to really shine this season.

I think young Ellis Chapman also did enough for me to show that he is going to be an incredible player.
 
Think Chapman made a mistake in front of the Co-op and got a bit of stick and went into his shell, all about the learning curve, will be a very good player but it will take time.
 
Pett was outstanding - Chapman's not ready - too much tinkering we are not Chelski - better second half with stronger players on the field who should have started - initial team selection very poor!
 
collingham imps said:
- Chapman's not ready -
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I disagree. when does a player become ready? On the continent they blood young players all the time that's half of England's problems nobody wants to take a chance on youngsters enough that's why our game is flooded with foreigners! Of course he is going to be nervous and make a few mistakes but you have to stick him in there to learn I think one or two weren't on it last night. He doesn't want to be loaned out to lower league teams because that would do him no good.

I think Danny is doing the right thing, giving him some game time and getting him slowly introduced to League football.

All about opinions I know but I think we will have to differ on this one.
 
There is a limit to what can be achieved with League Two players regardless of how good we think they are - they are still League Two players. Perhaps those players as a group are having problems implementing the tactical strategies, resulting in mediocre individual performances? Familiarity will breed consistency in due course, but expect more errors until they get fully on method; and it will take longer to get on method than in previous seasons because of the obvious complexities of what they are trying to do.
 
Scotimp said:
There is a limit to what can be achieved with League Two players regardless of how good we think they are - they are still League Two players. Perhaps those players as a group are having problems implementing the tactical strategies, resulting in mediocre individual performances? Familiarity will breed consistency in due course, but expect more errors until they get fully on method; and it will take longer to get on method than in previous seasons because of the obvious complexities of what they are trying to do.
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I'm not necessarily buying that.

Eardley has played all the way up to the PL, likewise Shackell. O'Connor, Freck, Bostwick in the Championship, likewise Toffolo. Akinde's played in L1 as well.

Pett's played more than enough times at L2 level as well.

There are probably others I've missed.
 
O'Connor and Bostwick only played in the Championship briefly. Toffolo has played 7 games in the Championship. Only Eardley and Shackell have really played at a good level consistently. That is a small percentage of the squad. The rest are L1/L2/non-league in origin.
 
Casperimp said:
I disagree. I think Danny is doing the right thing, giving him some game time and getting him slowly introduced to League football. All about opinions I know but I think we will have to differ on this one.
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He shouldn't have started.
 
graemetheexile said:
He shouldn't have started.
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If it's about introducing him to league football then surely it's better to do this as a midfield 3 rather than a 2? Once we switched to 2 in the middle the pressure on him to perform magnifies and he has less cover around him, perhaps that's why he chose Chapman to be subbed?
 
Sincilbanks said:
If it's about introducing him to league football then surely it's better to do this as a midfield 3 rather than a 2? Once we switched to 2 in the middle the pressure on him to perform magnifies and he has less cover around him, perhaps that's why he chose Chapman to be subbed?
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Maybe. But we had better players on the bench and the formation wasn't working. It's sacrilege to say this but I think DC got it wrong.
 
graemetheexile said:
Maybe. But we had better players on the bench and the formation wasn't working. It's sacrilege to say this but I think DC got it wrong.
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Oh I agree with that, the formation clearly didn't work first half. One of the central midfielders had to go to sub for Anderson and that maybe Danny didn't want to risk Chapman in a midfield 2, hence he subbed him..
 
graemetheexile said:
He shouldn't have started.
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when i saw the pre match line up i was shocked and with bostwick in the back 4 and the other experienced holding midfielder o connor benched plus Freck ,who has not been prominent lately then the young lad was going to have to put in a big performance with no l2 experience.

sadly plenty of other players were below par and he got hooked.

checkatrade or carabao or facup still available to play in for this lad.
 
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