Imps v Rovers

[Boz]

A quick return to Sincil Bank, scene of our Cup exit. Hopefully, this time we'll be able to keep eleven players on the park and give the home side more of a test than the last occasion. Rovers are slumping into mid-table obscurity and need something here.

Lincoln in reasonable league form, most recently winning at Aldershot, who were on a good run themselves. With big striker Matt Rhead scoring prolifically recently, they will be difficult opponents. They did lose out to Whitehawk in the Cup, which might give us some hope.

Mekki and Hogan are back in contention, Dawson training, but still out. Davies and Harris back from suspension, but Maynard on international duty. Defensively, Davies will replace Turner in the nets and suspect Hogan if fit will come in for Riley. How the rest of the side lines up is anyone's guess, save that there are no options other than Jennings and Harris in central midfield. Mangan has to start in my view, he is a proven scorer and should be reasonably fit after our enforced break. I'm not sure that Norwood's recent form merits a start, Tomlinson looked distinctly average on his Rovers debut, but did have a couple of seasons for Lincoln so that may earn him a start in the hope of ex-player syndrome kicking in. Taylor-Fletcher another likely starter.

Prediction: There should be a decent turnout from the SWA ~400+. I can't see us keeping a clean sheet, think a score draw the most likely outcome.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

After a month of poor results and unconvincing performances, this is a vital game for Rovers. A victory would be particularly sweet as we looked the better side over the two cup matches and realistically had no chance of progressing in the replay due to the intervention of the officials. Defeat would leave us marooned in the bottom half and does not bear thinking about.

As Boz says, it is difficult to predict the starting line up. From Brabin's comments I get the impression that of the injured players only Mekki is fit to start. I would imagine Mangan and GTF will operate as the central strikers, so it is possible that Norwood will play out wide with Mekki or Tomlinson on the other wing.

This will be my first visit to Sincil Bank, as I am sure it will be for a lot of Rovers fans, and we have apparently sold our initial allocation of tickets.

Although Lincoln are an awkward side, if we start with the right attitude we are well capable of winning this game.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

After an enforced rest and the return of three or four players to the squad, I'd be very disappointed if we don't return to our normal away form against the better sides. If we are not up for it this weekend, when will we be? I don't gamble, but if you gave me a fiver, I'd put it on an away win.

 

[Ian]

Need to get at them from the whistle. Don't make them settle and we can get a much needed victory here.

 

[Sparky]

This is an odd one in that I won't be surprised if we lose as not sure how confidence will be after the Dover game and how fit the likes of Mangan will be. We need Dawson back asap.

On the other hand I won't be surprised if we win as we seem to fair better away from home.

On that basis it'll probably be a draw - which wouldn't be a great result really.

 

[Ian]

We have to win.

 

[bigmart]

We need at least a draw from this game or the gap between us and top spot will be very worrying

 

[bigmart]

were nearly half way through the season we have no chance of winning the league and are falling off the play off positions time for a change of management for me.

 

[frenchrover]

Totally agree Bigmart, for too long we have listened to the nonsense of we have to let the team have time to gel.....without a change of management we are going to be lucky to avoid another relegation scrap. I cannot believe Palios, for whom I have the greatest respect, will allow this to continue. To do so will really see the gates, which have held up to date, start to fall away. 1 win in the last 8, with only 3 goals in this time, is simply just not good enough.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Four games, no goals, no points. To fail to score three times against Lincoln, who were thrashed last week by Whitehawk of NL South is not acceptable. We used to raise our game against the better sides and be almost invincible away, but that's all changed this month. However, I'm not yet calling for blood. This side CAN play really well. At our best, we are as good as any in this league. This league is so closely contested that a good run would see us back in the top five. I'm patient enough to wait another month.

By the way, I'm interested to know what our formation was today. No real pace or width, by the look of things.

 

[Sparky]

BBTC makes a valid point. Ok we've lost Dawson but look totally toothless and incapable of putting the ball in the net. Lincoln conceded 5 to Whitehawk!
The managers signings of the likes of Mekki, Jacksom & Tomlinson have not been good enough plus we've had an injury prone striker in Mangan too.

He won't be sacked but if we don't beat Guisley at PP next Sat, who every other team have been hammering of late, it could be curtains.

 

[Ian]

Not good enough. Our recent record is abysmal and can't see this getting better any time soon. Mid table mediocrity I'm afraid.

On the flip side, we created some really good chances

 

[drwhoman]

Unacceptable but sadly predictable. I turned on the pc this am in Oz thinking 1-0 Lincoln. Sadly I was right. Unable to put the ball in the net. One mistake and a former Rovers player scores! Groan.

 

[Boz]

Sincil Bank hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Rovers. Apparently 1964 was the last time we won at Lincoln and that remains the case.

I think the Rovers formation was 4-2-1-3, with GTF playing just behind a front three of Norwood Mangan Tomlinson. It was a fairly similar set-up to the second half of the Dover game and equally ineffective. The first half, Rovers probably shaded, a couple of decent chances, good work from GTF and ball into the box from I think Sutton was anticipated by Mangan, who aimed straight at the keeper. A Jay Harris effort from outside the box brought a good save from their keeper. However with half-time approaching, Rovers old boy Luke Waterfall converted a free-header from a corner to send us behind.

Rovers started the second half quite brightly, but quickly got bogged down. There were one or two half-chances, but we never really tested their keeper, even from a free-kick on the edge of their box. At our end, Davies made a good save to turn a shot from outside the area out for a corner. Mekki came on midway through the half, replacing the ineffective Tomlinson and did earn a few free-kicks, but no more changes either in personnel or tactics. It's been mentioned before, but there was a distinct lack of urgency from some of the Rovers players, which frustrated the 433 travelling support. Chants of "Brabin sort it out" and "are you Adams in disguise" were indicative of disillusion setting in.

In terms of playing staff, Rovers have the stronger side. However Lincoln were the much better team, the sum being greater than the parts. Lack of leadership on and off the park for Rovers, an area where McNulty doesn't seem to have contributed as hoped. Feeling very downhearted just now.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Another frustrating and deeply disappointing afternoon. For the first sixty minutes we were the better side, played decent football and got into good areas on many occasions. However, we are completely lacking confidence in front of goal at the moment: when we had clear opportunities we failed to test the keeper, and on other occasions we were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net. Lincoln had fewer efforts on goal than us and did not threaten in open play for the majority of the game. However, we conceded from a poorly defended corner and because of our shortcomings in the final third, could not respond. We looked better than Lincoln in most aspects of the game, other than two that are pretty fundamental at this level: defending set plays and scoring when you are on top. We should have been a couple of goals up before Lincoln scored.

In the last half hour our confidence was sapped and we became ragged and Lincoln saw the game out pretty easily in the end. However, for long periods we coped well with the awful conditions and zipped the ball around with pace and purpose. It is incredibly frustrating to watch us play better football than the opposition yet come away with nothing because we can't address the fundamentals.

Tactically, we set up in a 4-5-1 with GTF in the hole. This gave us a lot of good possession and decent control in midfield, but as we are struggling so desperately for goals it is debatable whether it was wise to leave a partially-fit Mangan on his own up front. On many occasions when the ball was out wide we did not have enough men in the eighteen yard box. In addition, there was no natural width in the team. Norwood did pretty well in the first half, less so in the second, but he is not a natural wide man. Tomlinson just looked lost for the majority of the game and rarely contributed. Brabin's habit of playing square pegs in round holes and overloading the pitch with one type of player (strikers) to the detriment of others is probably contributing to our problems.

There were some positives to take from the display, notably the workrate of Mangan and Harris and the performance of the two centre halves, with McNulty in particular impressive. GTF showed his quality again and was involved in all our best moves.

As for the manager ? Well, the jury is well and truly out. We have got better players than Lincoln, let alone the likes of Altrincham and Boreham Wood, but results do not reflect this. A Lincoln caller on their local radio station said Brabin is following his usual strategy of tapping up all the best players in the division, while other teams (like Lincoln) play to a simple game plan, work as a team, and get results. There is more than an element of truth in this. Twelfth place in the table and four wins in eighteen with the squad we have is completely unacceptable, regardless of whether Adam Dawson is out injured.

I don't think Brabin should be sacked, and there is no way he will be after the extent to which he has been backed by Palios. However, I will repeat what I said last week: we have three games coming up against struggling sides which we should be able to win comfortably. If we don't get a good points return from those games the manager will be under serious pressure.

 

[Boz]

Can't agree with you on centre-halves RLC. There were a number of occasions when they got in each others way, communication was lacking, while the goal conceded was in an area where you'd expect them to have at least challenged for the ball.

I would concede that McNulty did a job keeping Rhead quiet though.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Defending a corner is not just the centre halves' responsibility though. There were a few communication issues (again) but McNulty won a lot in the air and Readh was kept relatively quiet.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

RLC and Boz, my thanks for the reports and my sympathies for having to endure another frustrating afternoon. As RLC says, we are grossly underperforming and I think GB has three games to sort it out. Our next two opponents, Guiseley and Woking, conceded 9 goals between them today. Any new manager will need to come in before the transfer window to have a chance of turning things around. Meanwhile, all we can do is get behind Gary and the team.

 

[Sparky]

I had a moan earlier about the likes of Mekki, Jackson & Tomlinson not being good enough. Interesting to see Jake Kirby scored again for Stockport. Could he do any worse??

As for the centre halves, I personally still like the partnership of Hogan/Sutton. McNulty I'm still not convinced about

 

[Boz]

I had a moan earlier about the likes of Mekki, Jackson & Tomlinson not being good enough. Interesting to see Jake Kirby scored again for Stockport. Could he do any worse??

As for the centre halves, I personally still like the partnership of Hogan/Sutton. McNulty I'm still not convinced about

Mekki is ok at this level. He did take players on and earn a few free-kicks yesterday. Tomlinson is apparently a fair striker but not a wide player, so agree that Kirby who's scored three times in ten at Stockport deserves a look-in. I'd even consider throwing young Askew off the bench in games where we'd been lacking in width. Jackson is at best an impact sub to run at tired defences.

McNulty would be a great signing at the start of a season, when there is time for bedding in with his fellow defenders getting to grips with what he can and can't do. It's much harder developing an understanding during the course of competitive matches.