Match Thread: Lincoln City v Manchester United U21s | Page 12 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Lincoln City v Manchester United U21s

Lewis played well for the full game with some decent right footed crosses and more impressively cut inside several times and delivered some excellent left footed crosses. Also performed his defensive duties well and looked to get forward whenever possible. Could he play further up the field, right wing or midfield?
 
PortMacImp said:
Lewis played well for the full game with some decent right footed crosses and more impressively cut inside several times and delivered some excellent left footed crosses. Also performed his defensive duties well and looked to get forward whenever possible. Could he play further up the field, right wing or midfield?
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Like this idea, with a solid back four again I'd like to see him have his chance. Saturday could be intriguing!
 
plumbob said:
I sense a tide against Akinde, so many standing in his corner last season. Now we're losing it seems to have changed a few minds!
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I thought he was dreadful last season too, but as we were top thought it best to keep quiet .... hopefully a struggling Salford will come a calling in January and we can get rid, and maybe throw in Freck too, as I dread to think how much these 2 take out of the club in wages each month for doing precisely f*** all ?
 
I think MA is probably aware that the biggest earners are not offering value for money. This may also add more to his armour come January.

I still maintain we have a good squad that has maybe become a bit too nice, and not quite got the attacking impetus that can get us out of sight.
 
Imprest 1 said:
To be fair though he didn't really do anything, had one shot, should have scored.
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How can you be fair to him when he didn't do anything?
Simply not good enough for this level.
If he wants to play at this level or any other he will have to vastly improve his first touch, put a hell of a lot more effort in to closing people down, learn to turn and run at defenders with pace, jump and actually do it with a bit of determination when going for headers, shoot when he gets an opportunity and just generally show a bit of passion and will to win.
Cant see him being in MApps long term plans.
 
Feel a lot more pain to come before we come out the other side.

Personally i have faith that MA will settle on the right mix on the pitch,but it will take time.
Very much early days for the new manager,only 2nd game in charge.
MA can take no responsibility for any prior results.
Players have not gone bad and losing is a habit........a bad one.
MA`s post match interview is reasonably upbeat and it was a chance to have a look at a few new skins.....chances created?
MA already been to Wembley for the EFL trophy twice, but this season for us it`s a training game material.
Even January and the arrival of the transfer window does not usually offer up top players so we will be more reliant on getting our injured lads back on the pitch to give us more options.
Lots of players are now playing for contracts or a shift at Aldi`s,perform or move on.
Key objective MA has is to keep us in this division and bring a pattern of play that moves us forward.
Early days and a great game to look forward to on Saturday.
 
Norfolk Imp said:
I thought he was dreadful last season too, but as we were top thought it best to keep quiet .... hopefully a struggling Salford will come a calling in January and we can get rid, and maybe throw in Freck too, as I dread to think how much these 2 take out of the club in wages each month for doing precisely f*** all ?
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I am quite prepared to still stand in his corner. No point going into too many details as they don't really matter... to some

Walker starts every match... and we go on longest losing run for some time...

Akinde starts a match and its all his fault apparently....

Norfolk Imp - you can't even remember what you have said...

... give yourself a bit of credit for consistency, you've been slating him for months...

Win, lose or draw.
 
PortMacImp said:
Lewis played well for the full game with some decent right footed crosses and more impressively cut inside several times and delivered some excellent left footed crosses. Also performed his defensive duties well and looked to get forward whenever possible. Could he play further up the field, right wing or midfield?
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Agree he looks as though hes got something about him and is comfortable with both feet but as we already have a hundred and forty midfielders at the club just let's just let him concentrate on being a full back at the moment.
 
clanford said:
Well that was a very strange match. We did create a lot of chances and were unlucky not to have had two or three but with the atmosphere so flat it felt like a pre season friendly and to be honest I couldn’t get excited. I think it will be a bit different on Saturday ?
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Apart from Chelsea U23 semi final, I haven't been to an EFL trophy/Leesing.com trophy game that hasn't been flat (oh, and Wembley).
 
Thing is, although we lost, we didn’t look like a side short of confidence at all, in fact I thought we looked decent. It was a mixture of bad finishing from us good defending from them and the ball not running much for us all evening. Man U were time wasting from the time they scored against the run of play and it was frustrating that we couldn’t get the goals we probably deserved on the balance of play.

All in all I would imagine MApp will be reasonably happy with the performance given who played. Doesn’t get any easier with Sunderland coming to town on Saturday though.
 
clanfordimp said:
How can you be fair to him when he didn't do anything?
Simply not good enough for this level.
If he wants to play at this level or any other he will have to vastly improve his first touch, put a hell of a lot more effort in to closing people down, learn to turn and run at defenders with pace, jump and actually do it with a bit of determination when going for headers, shoot when he gets an opportunity and just generally show a bit of passion and will to win.
Cant see him being in MApps long term plans.
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To be fair to me, I was responding to Plumbob's comment who sensed we were turning against Akinde. I wasn't defending Akinde. :grinning:
 
Fortunately I have been away on holiday and managed to miss the last few matches including the Oxford debacle and tonight. However I will be at the bank on Saturday cheering the lads on.
Whatever happens we have to give the new man time to sort things out, there has obviously been a lot of upheaval at the club and this seems to have got to the players a bit.
With being away I haven't heard but his Lewis now on a contract with the club ? If not he could go elsewhere tomorrow I believe if some one came him for him.
I have only seen him once but he looks a decent player to me.
To join in with the Akinde debate I am sorry to say I do not believe he his up to this standard and never have. Walker to me is a far better all round player and finisher ,then he will ever be. To be fair to Akinde he was an integral part of the team that got us to this division but his standard is league two I am afraid.
I still think we are good enough for a mid table finish and hope that Mr Appleton can restore some self belief in the squad to get us kick started again.
 
Disappointing result but we didn’t look too bad. In fact, we played some lovely football at times and really should have scored 3 or 4. Ultimately though, we lost to an U21 team... albeit Man Utd U21s with some multi-million pound players in it!
I’ve never been one of the Akinde slaters but today he looked poor against young lads. Struggled to get involved at all. Can’t remember him having a single shot on target. Record signing or not, he really needs to up his game if he wants to be anything other than a substitute in league 1. We’re going to be very reliant on young Tyler Walker until January. A lot of people were keen to unleash the Adebayo-Smith On league 1 defences but he’s hardly set the Conference North on fire so far. We’re in deep trouble without another quality striker.
 
First 10 minutes I thought this was going to be a walk in the park- created several chances, they looked very uneasy and all was smelling of roses.

As half wore on we created but didn't finish whereas they didn't create but finished the one opportunity they had- clinically and effectively.

Second half we again had numerous attempts, on target and off, but nothing which resulted in the net except an offside which I'd have to see again.

As we pushed for an equaliser their pace exposed us at the back a couple of times in the last 10 minutes and a good couple of saves from Smith kept us in the game.

Probably the worst U23 team I've seen at the bank for this EFL/Leesing trophy and we should have really put this game out of sight (IMO).

Thought Lewis had a good game as did Toffs- 2nd half we were down the left wing more times than a Labour rally. Big JA should have been in his element tonight against young defenders who didn't has his physicality but it didn't come off for him.

Melbourne looked lively in defence with Bolger and is quick (see MApp previous comments). Hesketh had a steady debut. Chapman still gives too much posession away and plays like Ray Wilkins (sideways and backwards rather than forwards).

Bolger was competent overall- didn't really have too much to content with.

Anderson looked knackered, really really knackered after 20 minutes and has dropped off the boil this season again.

MoC played a role we have missed in holding midfield- like a terrier.

Disappointed as we could have taken this game but it seems I'm saying that a lot this season so, for me, I was at MApp's first home game and that will do for me.

On to this Saturday
 
Norfolk Imp said:
I thought he was dreadful last season too, but as we were top thought it best to keep quiet .... hopefully a struggling Salford will come a calling in January and we can get rid, and maybe throw in Freck too, as I dread to think how much these 2 take out of the club in wages each month for doing precisely f*** all ?
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I so want Akinde to do well, but tonight basically showed he is not up to the job. Doesn't win headers, doesn't bust a gut to get into goalscoring positions, poor first touch, very little effort and just doesn't have any presence up there. He should have bossed those United kids tonight, but they had a very easy time of it. I'm of a mind that we should cash in on him in January if he displays this sort of standard every week.

Anderson was also awful tonight, dreadful in the first half. Caught napping several times and ran into countless cul-da-sacs. Something seems amiss with him at the moment. Confidence shot since the Cowleys left?

Now on to Lewis and Melbourne... the pair were superb. I have been very impressed with Lewis every time I've seen him, but Melbourne shone at centre-back and the only times he was beaten was when he slipped on the wet surface. Reads the game well and is comfortable at bringing the ball out of defence. I've heard people say Connolly's a possible at CB, but on the evidence tonight, young Max should be handed an opportunity.
 
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