Cian Bolger 33 games, 0 goals

Every season we seem to have an unlucky loser, a player fans rate who struggles for a game by virtue of someone else’s form. Scott Wharton springs to mind last season, Sean Long the year before. This season, despite a decent number of starts in the league (25), it’s Cian Bolger.

Why? Because he seems to be the one who is dropped whenever someone gets fit. He started the season well, but was dropped for Shackell. He came back, did well and was again dropped when Bozzy gained fitness. Despite holding things together well after coming back again, he was dropped for the last game as Alan Sheehan came in.

I fear for Cian because I don’t think he is a Michael Appleton player. He isn’t a defender who plays out comfortably from the back, he’s a proper centre half, a tackler and a player who heads the ball. I don’t think he’s let the club down much at all, in fact some might even shout him as a possible Player of the Year. He’s calm, he is good in the air at the back and he takes the knocks well, never seemingly going off the boil because he’s been dropped.

I’d like to see a bit more threat from set pieces going forward, but if he had three or four goals to his name as well he’d be a strong contender for my Player of the Season.

Michael Bostwick 21 appearances, 1 goal

I recall the joy I felt when I saw Bostwick’s return from injury in the late winter. In my mind, when we have him in the side, we win more football games than we lose. When he doesn’t play, we lose more than we win. It’s very, very simple.

The facts back up this statement too, we’re a better side with him playing. He’s strong, aggressive and a proper leader. You don’t need to give Bozzy the armband to define him as the captain, he does it by default. ‘Leader’ is his natural setting, he doesn’t know any other way to play. I recall a game towards the end of the last lot of matches when young Conor Coventry misplaced a pass; Bozzy went up and put an arm around him, whispered something and the youngster went on to have a good game. Leadership and influence are hugely important.

He is out of contract at the end of this season and there isn’t a fan out there who wants him to leave the club. He’s the type of player we want to see, committed, no-nonsense and influential to the youngsters. We also want to see more bloody hard tackles, more fearless headers and more of that magnificent beard.

Liam Bridcutt 5 appearances, 1 goal

There has been a bit of chatter about Liam Bridcutt having no place in League One, but players end up where their career takes them. His loan spell at Bolton didn’t alert Championship clubs and we managed to get him here. I’d say he’s a classy midfielder, good on the ball with a touch of quality, but he’s been guilty of showboating a little too much. Take Tayo Edun’s sending off against Gillingham; if Brdcutt had put a foot through the ball instead of trying a trick, Edun wouldn’t have been boxed in and given the fight he got.

That’s perhaps a bit harsh, because after just five games we can all see what Bridcutt brings. He’s been handed the captaincy, a bit of a blow perhaps to Neal Eardley, but it’s still a testament to Bridcutt’s experience and influence. You don’t commandeer transfer fees of several million pounds without being a bit handy and it’s obvious this lad could play higher, given the chance.

My one big hope is that he isn’t given the chance and when his Forest contract expires he comes here, to little old Lincoln City, to help us complete a proper League One season with his drive from the middle of the park.