Match Thread: Lincoln City v Port Vale | Page 17 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Lincoln City v Port Vale

I think nearly everyone understands that MR, even the post-Ipswich ones like me.

But there's no merit in saying something is good if it isn't and overall today it was.... mediocre. That would apply if it yielded three points or no points.

I totally agree that over-reacting to setbacks is ridiculous but we see the same thing in reverse when things go well, which is equally unrealistic.

Over these four holiday games we've seen probably 60 minutes of good football - the first 20 minutes against Newport, the first 15 against Cambridge and the short spell in and around our goals there, and about 15 minutes of the second half today. Crewe was a write-off.

Aside from that 60 out of 360+ the rest has been a bit purposeless. A lot of perspiration but not much inspiration.

This team is better than that. I've seen a lot of non Lincoln City football in the last few years, much of it abroad and this side's target should be to win the League. Not because I'm a johnny-come-lately and expect it, but because it's clear to me they're capable of it.

Completely agree we weren’t at our best today, and even that would have been enough but for a great strike at the end. Fair play to the Vale, a proper football club.
 
Disappointed we didn't see the game out today however we really controlled the first half without any real threat from them but not much of a threat from us either.

Second half- again controlled the game right up to our goal. After we scored we somehow sat back and allowed them the initiative (something which both O'Connor and Cowley referenced in PM interviews and that was definitely not in the game plan!).

More than happy with 7 points out of 12 over Xmas- all games are tricky in this league so decent haul and we are come out of Xmas more points in front than when we started against Newport.

Not been at our top game (Crewe particularly) across all 4 games but, apart from Crewe, haven't been poor either.

Today's game reminded me of Crawley at home- crowd were flat, players didnt have the zip and zap they can have. We couldn't even manage a rousing chorus of "you don't know what you're doing" to the ref.

The team will be disappointed because of the late late goal to earn Vale the point.

One thing I will say- reading other teams forums and social media. Another team today who clearly "completely upped their game" to play us. We are top of the league for a reason and expect that but it makes every game a potential cup final.

Roll on Everton and then back to the league
 
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Very poor game today by both sides not really helped by 2 Linos that refused to make decisions and a Ref that let so much pulling and pushing go that it just encouraged more.

Yes we are top of the league. Yes we have a nice cushion and are getting points while not playing our best. Delighted with that however.......

......the way we defend en masse in open play with when the opposition have the ball is still the same as it has been for a long time, especially if we have a 1 goal lead. Our midfield backs into the defence line and we leave a massive space from 25 yards out to the half way for the opposition to do whatever they want.

Happy for teams to take long shots maybe a decent percentage shout but for supporters it is very frustrating.

When the opposition cross it in, or play it forward then hurrah we win every header however because we have the whole team (normally minus 1 who is a little further forward) in a 5 yard space along the edge of the box then once it is headed out it goes straight back to the opposition.

Not really understanding the criticism of Andrade. Yes he is a drama queen, and that annoys the hell out of me, but he is a great player for this level. A month or so ago everyone was purring over him, then he got injured. Now all of a sudden people are on his back? What gives? Players get injured and it may take time not just to regain match fitness but also for the injury to truly heal / player's confidence in the recovery.

Andrade's game is based on pace and agility. If he is feeling anything then he is not going to run at full tilt, nor is he going to try and turn quickly the way he does.

I suspect that Danny is happy with his level of fitness despite it not being 100%. HE also probably thought that the opposition he has played him against are not table toppers and thus he would be able to work himself back easier than if he returns fully fit against a top 8 side (or Lincolnshire Derby.) He will get back to how he was, just needs to work his way back in.

Also seen comments about Pett needing to get back to form? Last home game he scored a Beaut. Today he put a good shift in when he came on. 'Tis the tactics of men behind the ball, not certain players fault we drew today but the Cowley's method analyses probabilities and such like so the tactics are obviously to accept the risk of long shots.

We just need to get a grip on expectations vs reality. This "blip" has seen us go from second with a game in hand to 4 points clear!!!

And it was New Year's day. The crowd had no energy. Even the kids were allowed to see the New year in and it showed. A very flat crowd, tired, some still suffering from the night's celebrations. They will be recovered in full by Saturday and most definitely by the 19th.
 
We have a habit of collapsing into our own 18 yard box and clinging on through grit and determination as Danny would say. We hear that time and again and it's admirable but the simple fact is when you do that you'll get found out sometimes. Yesterday was one of those days.

I haven't heard Danny's interview yet but from the bits I've read I'm a bit worried that collapsing into our 18 yard box isn't by design. I'd assumed they'd done some stats work and decided that the way to see games out is to adopt that approach - especially on the basis we often pull everyone back with no available out ball. I wonder how you go about fixing what's become a regular problem.

One home clean sheet all season is a worry. That might be the result of a slightly more adventurous style of play resulting in more goals, but across 13 home matches you'd probably expect a top team, which we aspire to be, to keep more than one.

These concerns are obviously within the context of an excellent season to date and probably could be summed up as grit and determination aren't always going to be enough.
 
We have a habit of collapsing into our own 18 yard box and clinging on through grit and determination as Danny would say. We hear that time and again and it's admirable but the simple fact is when you do that you'll get found out sometimes. Yesterday was one of those days.

I haven't heard Danny's interview yet but from the bits I've read I'm a bit worried that collapsing into our 18 yard box isn't by design. I'd assumed they'd done some stats work and decided that the way to see games out is to adopt that approach - especially on the basis we often pull everyone back with no available out ball. I wonder how you go about fixing what's become a regular problem.

One home clean sheet all season is a worry. That might be the result of a slightly more adventurous style of play resulting in more goals, but across 13 home matches you'd probably expect a top team, which we aspire to be, to keep more than one.

These concerns are obviously within the context of an excellent season to date and probably could be summed up as grit and determination aren't always going to be enough.

I'm surprised that the dropping deep wasn't by design - as you say we do it often so I presumed it was the tactic. I guess that because we do it so often the players have it as their default approach.
 
Dropping is often a natural thing to do when there's a lack of pace in certain areas and you have to say that through the spine of the team, we're not the fastest/quickest of sides - Bostwick, Shackell, Frecklington and O'Connor. But what they do have, is a bit of nous, which helps in that regard.
 
Dropping is often a natural thing to do when there's a lack of pace in certain areas and you have to say that through the spine of the team, we're not the fastest/quickest of sides - Bostwick, Shackell, Frecklington and O'Connor. But what they do have, is a bit of nous, which helps in that regard.

Correct, but also add Eardley, Akinde and Rhead and you soon see that the team tends to be reliant on experience rather than pace. We are tending to fall off after half an hour in the first half, which could mean the slower players are conserving their energy and not risking going forward so much, unless for set pieces.
 
Akinde can shift to be fair, but Green would have been a good option to have (although if the rumoured fee for him is true, then it was absolutely the right decision to sell him before Xmas).
 
They say John is quick but he just appears to take a while to get going, guess it is his size.

Would love to see their respective times for 10 x 30 m consecutive sprints.
 
We have got to leave 2 up when they have corners then they will have to leave 4 or 5 defenders back to mark them.
It then gives us an outlet and also doesn`t leave our box so crowded. because at present with it being crowded there`s no room to clear the ball it always rebounds about like a pinball machine game.
 
We have got to leave 2 up when they have corners then they will have to leave 4 or 5 defenders back to mark them.
It then gives us an outlet and also doesn`t leave our box so crowded. because at present with it being crowded there`s no room to clear the ball it always rebounds about like a pinball machine game.
Tbh, I think the idea is not to have any space and we also have two zonal marking, usually Akinde/Rhead at the front post and Bostwick centre of goal on the 6 yard line. Them two just attack the ball.

We rarely concede from corners, so it must be working.

On the opposite, we create space when we have an attacking corner by leaving players outside the box and sometimes offering a short corner just to drag two players out the box.
 
We have got to leave 2 up when they have corners then they will have to leave 4 or 5 defenders back to mark them.
It then gives us an outlet and also doesn`t leave our box so crowded. because at present with it being crowded there`s no room to clear the ball it always rebounds about like a pinball machine game.

The way we setup in defence must be by design because it is the same every time. Not just corners but when the opposition have the ball.

Normally Andrade is 5 - 10 yards outside the box with the rest on the 18 yard area / 6 yard area for corners.

Rather than it being a couple up front and hope to hang on to the ball while the team catches up off clearances, the tactic seems to be when we get the ball we spring from defence to attack in numbers, normally feeding it wide with Anderson and Andrade carrying the ball.

Most of the goals we concede aren't like yesterdays. They have tended to be teams running the ball from our attack breaking down. We don;t concede many like yesterdays one despite the tactic being the same.

I can only assume that if Danny isn't happy that it isn't the tactic itself, more the positioning of certain players, maybe a yard deeper than he wants or the midfield / defence gap being non existent, rather than slight, and the failure to get any possession when we clear to make the breaks.

It could be something as simple as he wants it to be more of a zig zag across the edge of the box rather than a straight line of 8.

It could also be that simple favourite of mine that players defend differently when they have confidence in their keeper. Shackell was giving Smith a telling off a few times for not coming to punch balls right on top of the 6 yard line. He also had a right go at Toffolo once or twice.
 
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Tbh, I think the idea is not to have any space and we also have two zonal marking, usually Akinde/Rhead at the front post and Bostwick centre of goal on the 6 yard line. Them two just attack the ball.

We rarely concede from corners, so it must be working.

On the opposite, we create space when we have an attacking corner by leaving players outside the box and sometimes offering a short corner just to drag two players out the box.

Talking of corners, what did they have was it 9 to 1 including I think 3 on the trott in the first half.
Their first corner was an excellent training ground move and very nearly caught us out.
 
i am surprised dc said that dropping deep wasn't by design. we scored after an hour. almost immediately went back into game management mode, with freck almost playing like a third centre back at times. they also hit the bar from a very similar position on the pitch during our dropping deep, and by the same player. if he saw too much dropping deep during this 30 minutes, and wasn't happy with it, why did we not have a *time-out* to deal with it. they are usually very good at getting a message from the dug out to the field.
 
Up to yesterday we've been pretty good at holding onto a lead late on. Mansfield at home is probably the only other really late concession I can think of this season so the deep defending has worked more often than not. I think Mansfields late goal was also a bit of a punt if memory serves and these things will happen.
Other than that it has allowed us to pick up more points than we've lost.
 
Up to yesterday we've been pretty good at holding onto a lead late on. Mansfield at home is probably the only other really late concession I can think of this season so the deep defending has worked more often than not. I think Mansfields late goal was also a bit of a punt if memory serves and these things will happen.
Other than that it has allowed us to pick up more points than we've lost.
Once was unfortunate, twice is careless. To allow it to happen again would be criminal.
 
Through us dropping deep at Cambridge they rattled the post which could have caused the game to have ended 2-2
 
I have just seen the game on I-Follow. I didn't think we played that badly - but neither did we play very well, but we only dropped two points to a 'Worldy' goal. Maybe there was an element of us sitting too deep and trying to play the game out. We do look a bit tired and lacking the zip that we usually play with (particularly Bruno), but we probably have for the last three or four games. That may be down to injuries, etc but I'm sure some element of it is down to us being the top team and other teams raising their game against us. They are definitely using a lot more physical 'defending' against us as there seems to be a lot more blocking, holding and shirt-pulling interrupting our flow and Harry is finding himself against two or even three players sometimes. It's inevitable I suppose and is a compliment to us that teams feel they have to do that to get anything out of games against us. Wouldn't it be lovely if Everton didn't do that and Bruno & Harry were able to rip into their FBs. Maybe Big John & Rheady will put the frighteners on their CBs. Interesting times and we'll see what the next few days brings, then the transfer window. UTI.