• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Rovers v Imps

Boz

Member
Joined
30 Sep 2005
Messages
8,851
Player
Iain Hume
After our first defeat at Aldershot, can Rovers turn things around against Lincoln's finest? Last season, despite being reduced to ten men around the half-hour mark, they made things difficult and it took a deflected Adam Mekki effort to gain us 3 points. Since then, the Imps have recruited Danny Cowley as manager, his Braintree side were one of the best to visit PP last season and he appears to be assembling a decent squad. Some doubt about whether giant striker Rhead will be fit to resume battle with McNulty, though I suspect smoke and mirrors. After Margetts moved on following a handful of games, only Luke Waterfall has any Rovers link.

It will be interesting to see Brabin's approach after the change in formation for the last game didn't come off. While Maynard is better as a defensive midfielder, get the feeling GB will dig his heels in and select at right-back again. Most likely, we'll revert to the Guiseley formation, with Mekki dropping to the bench.

Prediction. Given things are looking up for the visitors, a few more may travel and that might just push the crowd over 5k, though my instinct is 4.9k. I think this game will be tight and our primary aim must be avoiding defeat and getting back on track.
 
Last edited:
Joined
1 Oct 2005
Messages
5,691
Player
Alan King, Barry Dyson
A win would be a great result even if we hadn't list to Shots. As RLC says, our primary aim must be avoiding defeat. I think the Imps will feel the same way, so a draw looks on the cards. I can't see a goalless game, so I'm predicting 1-1.
 

Ian

Super White!
Admin
Joined
21 Sep 2005
Messages
12,019
Player
Aldo
Manager
Kingy
I think we'll win this one. The lads will want to return back to winning ways and get another run going. 2-1.
 

Brightonian

Member
Joined
20 Mar 2012
Messages
138
Player
Ian Goodison, James Norwood
I am going to join Ian in being upbeat and believe (hope) we will bounce back and win this one.
We have a good enough squad to be able to beat the Imps and have goal threats from several good players.
Thought we missed the energy and combativeness of Jay Harris last week so hope he plays.

Have to hold my hand up and say did not rate Lois Maynard last season at all but he has been a revelation this season so hope he plays in whatever position .

Last Saturday I saw Stephenson for the first time and on the basis of his brief cameo he looked very lively and capable of making something happen, albeit very raw in some respects (in contrast to Jake who hardly got a kick) Like to see him get a gallop with us hopefully three up with twenty five minutes left.

Won't be at a game until Sutton but hope you all enjoy a good game tomorrow and see us back on track with a good win.
 

Cowshed Kid

Member
Joined
5 Dec 2015
Messages
882
Player
Bobby Hutchinson
Agree wholeheartedly with Brightonian re Maynard. In his vein of form he's losing his effectiveness at right back.
If he's going to be at RB tomorrow then would like to see Stephenson given a shout.
Think that Jay was unlucky to lose his place but someone had suffer to make way for Mekki (who by all accounts didn't cover himself in glory when his chance came).
Would be bitterly disappointed and surprised if we get beat. We look far more comfortable on our own patch this season.
Macca will look after Rhead!
 
Joined
1 Oct 2005
Messages
5,691
Player
Alan King, Barry Dyson
It's worth remembering that Maynard is only just starting his second season as a full-time pro, so you would expect he'd be on this sort of learning curve. I think playing international football, even in the West Indies, will have helped his progress. Stephenson is a year behind Lois, so we need to be patient. I'm more concerned about Mekki. He's been in and out of favour with a number of teams and surely needs a decent run before we can expect him to start to fulfill his potential.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ian
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,871
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
This is a tough game, but one we are well capable of winning. If we are to go up as champions we need to drastically improve our record against the top teams at home and if we fail to get three points we will be on a run of one win in four, which is not good enough. Yes, a draw would not be a disaster at this stage of the season, but three points would give everyone a boost following our minor wobble of the last couple of weeks. Added to which, FGR have Dover and Eastleigh in their next two games and are likely to drop points.

I would opt for a midfield of Maynard, Hughes and Jennings / Harris to give us the solidity we lacked last week, but I agree with Boz that we will probably start with the side that faced Guiseley. Like Brightonian, I was quite impressed with Stephenson at Aldershot and apparently he did well in a behind closed doors match against Everton in midweek. He won't start the game but it would be good to see him get more involved in the next couple of weeks.

With the firepower both teams have I can't see this ending nil-nil, but I fancy us to earn a narrow victory. Lincoln expect to bring up to 500 fans so I am sure we will get our first 5,000 plus gate oft he season.
 
Last edited:
Joined
1 Oct 2005
Messages
5,691
Player
Alan King, Barry Dyson
This is a tough game, but one we are well capable of winning. If we are to go up as champions we need to drastically improve our record against the top teams at home and if we fail to get three points we will be on a run of one win in four, which is not good enough. Yes, a draw would not be a disaster at this stage of the season, but three points would give everyone a boost following our minor wobble of the last couple of weeks. Added to which, FGR have Dover and Eastleigh in their next two games and are likely to drop points.

I would opt for a midfield of Maynard, Hughes and Jennings / Harris to give us the solidity we lacked last week, but I agree with Boz that we will probably start with the side that faced Guiseley. With the firepower both teams have I can't see this ending nil-nil, but I fancy us to earn a narrow victory. Lincoln expect to bring up to 500 fans so I am sure we will get our first 5,000 plus gate oft he season.
I agree with everything you say except I'm not so optimistic about the outcome.
IMO, this is a pivotal game. If we lose, we have stalled temporarily. If we draw, we've steadied the ship. However, if we win we are definitely back on track. I hope you are right and Boz and I are wrong.
 

Ian

Super White!
Admin
Joined
21 Sep 2005
Messages
12,019
Player
Aldo
Manager
Kingy
I agree with Maynard in midfield where I think he is much more effective. I'd like to see Stephenson more as he also has goals in his arsenal which can take a bit of pressure off Norwood and Cook.

I remember GB saying he wanted goals spread around the team this term.

Just hope we play the ball more on the floor today and do not revert to the usual huffing and puffing we saw last season without much penetration.
 

Boz

Member
Joined
30 Sep 2005
Messages
8,851
Player
Iain Hume
Some interesting points about the younger players. I'd put Mekki into that category, unsure if he was full-time at his previous clubs. A lot of positive things in pre-season seem to have been undone by his lack of opportunity initially and then being played out of position last weekend. Certainly when he came on at Southport, Adam seemed a bit out of sorts. On Stephenson, it sounds like he's the potential to be an impact player and his pace should be useful later in a game with legs tiring.
 
M

Mal

Guest
Did you read the article about Stephenson. Seems he needs to come up to speed as regards full time professional versus part-timer. He apparently was used to only training twice a week and has been finding the extra physical effort tiring. Still, he is youngish.
 
Joined
13 Aug 2016
Messages
15
Player
Nevin
Can't make this one due to the shifts again but after Forrest Green dropped points I'm hopeful of topping the league. A draw will do that, I won't predict any better than that but I'm hopeful of a return to form.
 
M

Mal

Guest
I couldn't make the game so cannot comment on the performance. Was it the usual huff and puff and shots wide of target or was it just bad luck?
 

Ian

Super White!
Admin
Joined
21 Sep 2005
Messages
12,019
Player
Aldo
Manager
Kingy
Well that was extremely disappointing. Maybe two or three shots on target all game. And Stephenson looked decent when he came on. I'm sure GB will limit him to a handful of sub apps all season.

A chance to stay top after FGR defeat and we blew it.
 

Ian

Super White!
Admin
Joined
21 Sep 2005
Messages
12,019
Player
Aldo
Manager
Kingy
When our goalkeeper comes close to scoring and is amongst the better chances it tells you a lot about our attacking threat today.
 
Last edited:
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,871
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
A very disappointing result. The game was as tight as most of us expected it to be with very little between the sides, and I think a draw would have been a fair result. Lincoln are a decent team, but when we got our passing game going I thought we looked the better side. However, once again you have to question whether, as the home team, we created enough genuine chances or forced their keeper into enough saves. We simply were not proactive enough to get the victory, or even a point as it transpires.

I did not have any complaints with the starting eleven, with Maynard restored to midfield and Vaughan back in the side. However, the substitutions after we conceded the goal made us worse, not better, and the decision to stick Mekki in centre midfield for the second game running was baffling. He created nothing and the absence of Harris actually left us vulnerable defensively.

We did have a slight hard luck story, as there seemed to be a foul on Norwood in the build up to their goal. It was the one occasion that Rhead managed to get on Hughes rather than McNulty and flick the ball in behind. The loss of Connor Jennings at half time, who had been our best player in the first half, also hurt us. However, we have played two of the promotion contenders in the last week and lost both games, with the tactical decisions of the opposition manager apparently better than those of GB. If we don't pick up results in the next two or three games there is bound to be renewed pressure on the manager.

Taking the positives, I thought Stephenson was lively and made a good impression when he came on. However, we are now back in the pack and have not looked like title contenders in recent games.
 

Ian

Super White!
Admin
Joined
21 Sep 2005
Messages
12,019
Player
Aldo
Manager
Kingy
Where's all the goals? One thing that is saving us from draws and defeats is our defence. We have to threaten more and we have to score more otherwise we'll have a repeat of last season.
 

Stickman

Member
Joined
12 Dec 2015
Messages
70
Player
Aldo
There is still a long way to go but I have to say that I cannot see us finishing in first place with Brabin in charge. The same old failings today, too negative, too slow and lack of ideas. This sort of football will turn fans away and if we don't get the results I think Palios will act.
 
Top