In Midfield
CDM: Liam Bridcutt
This is not even up for debate, if there is a Lincoln fan that doesn’t think our captain should start, they need to be sat down and spoke to at length. He showed me on Sunday why he is the main man here – he chucked himself around the pitch against Wimbledon as if his life depended on it, whilst 20 or so other players made it look a little more like a friendly. He only has one setting, ‘full throttle’, and he has the skills to match. On his day, Liam Bridcutt is the best midfielder in League One, no contest. The spine of our team, Walsh, Bridcutt and Hopper, is built upon hard work, graft, and experience and if that is in place, the rest of the side flows much better.
CM: Jorge Grant
I spoke about Wyke scoring 35% of Sunderland’s goals this season, well with 13 goals and seven assists, Jorge Grant has been involved in 28% of ours. Bear in mind he missed 52 days of the season with injury, that’s a strong stat. I prefer him in the advanced midfield role, able to drop deep and help Bridcutt if needed, but focused on using that exquisite vision and ability to ping balls effortlessly around the field. The biggest compliment I can pay him is this – he’s the best technical footballer I have seen at the club since Peter Gain, without a doubt, and time will leave him imprinted on my mind as one of my heroes. When he is fit, he plays, it is as simple as that.
CM: Conor McGrandles
There was a time when the identity of the third midfielder was hotly contested. Was it James Jones, the creative force from Crewe? Could it be Tayo Edun, drafted infield from left-back? At one point, I thought it might even be Robbie Gotts, and the name Conor McGrandles was swimming about with the rest. Well, he’s done playing around and came back from injury like a meteor on a collision course with the world. He is the first player you lot named Player of the Month in consecutive months, the first to win it twice, and he makes up an almost inevitable midfield trio. He often goes about his work with a quiet efficiency which belies his input and skill, he’s just a worker and a grafter, but one who does it with real panache. I did think his momentum might have been disrupted by his recent rest, but as the Wimbledon game wore on, he quickly got up to speed. Definitely a starter for me.