I think our only real chance came from the foot of Michael O’Connor didn’t it? He scored the goal that caught the eye on Tuesday as well and it’s clear what he brings to the side. What he can’t do is bridge the gap between midfield and forwards like Lee Frecklington does and in recent weeks Tom Pett hasn’t been able to either. For my money, we’re missed Freck and we’re desperate to get him back in the advanced midfield role.
By the way, having to name him on the bench due to FA rules is utterly ridiculous.
Anyway, lets look at a couple of others who didn’t do well yesterday, Anderson and Andrade. The latter has terrorised full backs this season, but not yesterday. Are teams getting wise to their threat? it’s be easy to say yes, but Carlisle weren’t on Tuesday and Port Vale certainly were not. Some teams do their homework, others do not. Colchester did.
Anyway there’s no making excuses, we lost. We lost fair and square against a team who had a game plan and stuck to it. That is as much as we can say, there’s not pointing the finger at the referee as (for once) he had a good game. It shows what a difference a professional referee makes and whilst both sides have cause to question the odd decision, his management of the game overall was good.
I came away looking at social media and got incredibly disheartened. Apparently it isn’t good enough, we don’t have the minerals to sustain a promotion challenge and if we want to go up then there has to be change. Our players are not good enough either and we need a proven striker in the January window.
Thing is I then looked at the table and we’re top, two points clear of second, four points clear in the automatic promotion spots and eight clear of eighth. Now, I understand these ‘still top’ arguments wear thin when we’ve given up a big lead over MK Dons, but we are still top. People say it is only because teams below us are losing, but that argument is odd. If we’re in a division where everyone can beat everyone and we’re dropping points the same as everyone but we’re still top, doesn’t that demonstrate we’ve done something right?
If we’re doing so badly, what must the other sides be thinking too? They’ve failed to capitalise on our blip, haven’t they? We might not have steamed into a bigger lead, but we’re still top of the pile. Yes, we were poor yesterday and yes, we could have won Tuesday too, but we didn’t and yet we’re clinging on courtesy of beating MK Dons at our place. We were good enough that day weren’t we?
Apparently, two points from three games is not good enough. I wonder how Accrington fans felt when they lost four on the spin last season?
Apparently, two points from three games is not good enough. I wonder how Accrington fans felt when they lost four on the spin last season? Or won one in seven? Portsmouth, champions in 2017, got two points from their opening three games and at two different points in the season lost three in four. In 2016 Northampton had a spell where they got one point from 12, then picked up just four from 12 at the end of the season but finished on 99 points to win the league.
You might be bored with the history lesson, but in 2015 Burton Albion won the league despite losing eight in twelve in all competitions between September 16th and November 9th. I could go back further but I’m sure you get the picture. Even champions have bad runs.
As for needing a proven goal scorer, there’s plenty to say on that. as things stand, we’ve scored 30 goals, matched only by Colchester who, incidentally, looked poor in front of goal too. The next highest scorers have four fewer than both of us. In that case, do we need a goal scorer or is the current method simply producing goals from all over the pitch, not purely one man?
Also, what is a proven goal scorer? A man who scored 20 goals in three of his last four seasons? If so, that’s John Akinde. If not, what is a proven scorer? Leo Fortune-West? Joe Allon? Simon Yeo, who signed for us with no Football League experience?
I’m not pretending there isn’t a part of me worrying about where the run might go, but that is as much based on the 2006/07 season as anything. In that campaign we changed from being direct to playing a passing game, caught everyone unawares and then were found out to have no plan B. Is that happening now? I don’t think so, I believe there is a plan B or that we can change things.
For now, we’re top of the table, still clear of the chasing pack and still setting the pace. We’ve had defeat in four, dropped points at home as everyone will but it isn’t time to write of the manager, the players or our aspirations. To do so is completely ridiculous in every way.
I can’t sugar-coat the result yesterday, I won’t try to but please, for the love of God, have some perspective. If we don’t win at all in the next three or four games then maybe there’s cause for concern, but to collect two points from nine when, all things being equal, we could have as easily had six from nine, isn’t the end of the world.
Calling it spot on as usual, Gary. We all feel it when we lose but far fewer mardy days this year than any I can recall in over 25 years of supporting the club. Some people just need to get some perspective. UTI.
On behalf of all readers of this can I express sadness at the events in Leicester yesterday evening. That was a tragedy
The reason John Akinde gets a verbal hammering is quite simple in my opinion. He has replaced yesterday’s hero Matt Rhead (no offense), but. I think it was in most fans minds from the day he signed for City. Fair enough Akinde has not set the world on fire with his performances. Which made those who prejudged him an easy target, to vent their frustrations. Every season, the fans have to have a scapegoat. So he needs encouragement, not punishment.
Once again Gary you are spot on. Everyone needs to calm down and carry on believing. We are in a better place now than for many years and we should all embrace it. It was good to speak to you in bar last week and see how passionate you are for the club and its reputation.
Danny needs to stop listening to social media and trust that he knows best.
Well I know this,City spent alot of money buying Akinde who has one goal from open play and yet we let Palmer go who as yet has scored Nine goals..ironic eh ?
I don’t see any irony. He didn’t do the same at Lincoln, and on his return he cleared a nailed-on goal off the line for us.
I have a view which I will respond with in due course. With games comes the evidence….Gary who I respect wears his heart on his sleeve, however I am he who is a generation older same as your dad, Gary. I have a more measured view. It may not be popular but it will be an honest assessment.
In reply to Malcolm every football club has the scenario where someone who has left a club to do well elsewhere.
You may or may not remember my cautioning of a bad run of form and injuries some weeks back when some of you had already won this league. Well here we are going through exactly that. Danny has warned that LCFC have no divine rights to win matches and here we are! Still we are still top and it will come back with hard work and injuries mending. Up the Imps, long live the Cowleys!!
A few people have been spoilt rotten by recent success. ALL teams have a blip.
Good assessment Gary. I’m not panicking yet as the rest of League 2 appear to be shooting themselves in the foot when City slip up. We will still be up there towards the end of the season when it matters.
With regards to Saturday the game was dire from both sides. It was very clear after 10 minutes that the instructions (to both sets of players) do not concede.
It was a poor game as bad as last year. I don’t think there was one city player who stood out none of them did themselves justice.
It’s a fact that the rest of the sides look at Lincoln as the team to beat, you only had to see how Colchester players celebrated in front of the City supporters at the end. It was as ff they had won the League.
FGR & Cooperman are next and that is the best team to play and get back to winning ways
UTI Roll on Saturday ⚽️⚽️⚽️
This League it would seem is very tight with all teams hardly without exception capable of beating any other. Lincoln City have come out on the right side of several close encounters and added to a couple of good victories against the likes of Exeter and MK Dons have found themselves top of the table. Prior to the last 3 games much of that success can be put down to a miserly defence. There has been illness in the squad and the absence of Shackell previous to Saturday was significant as was obviously playing with 10 men for much of match against Cambridge and then losing Mr Eardley for half the Carlisle game and those two calamitous mistakes. Two draws therefore in these games given these events can be considered reasonable. I think we won all 3 games during Frecks suspension so although it can be argued that we have missed him, Pett has been a more than capable like for like replacement. So why are we getting so wound up when clearly coming out of those 2 games with two draws given the circumstances was reasonable. Our approach play for much of the season has been easy on the eye but lacks that final pass to create a goal scoring opportunity this being no more evident than in the marginal 1 0 defeat against Colchester on Saturday. Personally I think the vast majority of people want John to get a goal to kick start his season but he is unconvincing as an aerial ball winner so perhaps it’s time to start Rheady and big John together and see what happens. Failing that move Pett further up with Freck in midfield. 3 games ago we were 4 points clear. Surprisingly 2 point from 9 and we remain 2 points ahead. The pack is bunching up but I’m confident that we will stretch away once we have a fully fit and healthy squad.
There is no reason for panic at all. Begrudgingly I would give a lot of credit to Colchester. Having played 3 at the back in their previous games, they changed their system totally to match up against ours and had clearly done their homework. Whenever Andrade or Anderson received the ball they were immediately surrounded by 2 and often 3 Colchester players which cut much of our supply off at source. Combine that with Pett and MacCartan both having rare off days in the central areas and you have a recipe for a poor/ineffective performance. My only criticism (if I dare to criticise Danny & Nicky) is that our Plan A clearly wasn’t working and it took a very long time for us to change anything in terms of tactics and personnel. I like what he tried to do – I would have just done it 15 minutes sooner knowing we just weren’t getting anywhere and were at that stage 1 down.
That said, still top of the league and plenty of other results fell in our favour.