where is harding tonight, not even on the bench, the hamshaw interview today said no injuries except Fergie. How is ladapo in that team on his form especially saturday. Ogbene is no wing back seems a very strange set-up surely a 4-1-4-1 formation would have made more sense, let us hope we play very well and they have an offnight
We are not playing a top of the league side here. They have less points than us. Ok they got five on Saturday but we should be going there expecting to bring at least a point back. I am worried about set pieces as we have very little height in the team. Our back three is obviously a worry with two new names coming in from Saturday. Reg will be tested at right of a back three as Scully has been on fire. We have the players to take the game to them. Like you Derby i am very surprised to see Ladapo in the starting line up. He might show us what he has got and get a couple tonight. If not Grigg on early in the second half.
that was better, we were faster and up for it first half, let them into it a bit last 10 mins but deserved to be in front, Bola looks very solid, I think ogbene as a winger would be better as sometimes he hesitates to run forward to receive the ball because he is concious of his defensive role. I think theywill improve so we will need a second goal.
poor second half really, Smith missed chances didnt help. I like sadlier as a player but he is no left wing back, another crazy substitution should have been wiles for Bola. We got a point created chances so that is something, the formation isnt working for me but I am sure we will stick with it, we are in the bottom half and with this squad that is not good enough over a season so something needs to change
Only a point, but we have battered Lincoln. They were like a boxer on the ropes at the end hoping for the bell. You can criticise the finishing perhaps - Smith could have had four or five and should have had two or three, its a great save from Grigg's header and Wiles should probably score - but we have gone away and had 24 efforts on goal to the 8 from the home side and have played some really good football at times.
Grigg improved us. For my money, he has to start on Saturday. I thought Barlaser was excellent and Rathbone got better and better as the game went on. He drives us forwards and has energy to burn.
Ironically it was Ihiekwe if anyone who looked a bit wobbly with a couple of hairy moments at the back - possibly for the goal because his positioning looked off to me but I haven't seen it back so that might be unfair. Otherwise I thought we handled them very well and they rarely threatened.
Being picky we will be gutted we didn't win that by two or three clear goals. On the plus side, if we play like that regularly we will win far more than we lose. We have quite a young side so there might be bumps along the way, but I don't think we are far away from being a very good side. It feels like two points missed but the performance was very encouraging.
Speaking to a Lincoln fan leaving the ground, he said he had never felt so sorry for the away side after demolishing Lincoln in the second half and coming away with just a point.
After we scored, Lincoln dominated the last 25 minutes of the first half, moving the ball around nicely and bringing their wide players in. To Warne's credit, he changed it after half time and they were rarely in the game. Their goal came after Chieo was body checked after he looked like he would break free. The Ref had a nightmare for the first 20 mins of the second half and his incompetence cost us.
We were superb in the second half to the extent that the home side were time wasting. Their keeper - an England Under 21 on loan - was man of the match and rightly so. He kept us out on numerous occasions. Rathbone is a midfield dynamo and he was instrumental in creating wave after wave of pressure. A winner looked inevitable but we were inches away on many occasions.
Grigg is superb in the box and he was denied a cert goal by the incompetent ref who gave a foul against him when the keeper clearly dropped the ball.
Chieo had a stormer and anyone who thinks he can't cross the ball needs to watch that game back - first class.
Credit to all the players and the management for a great performance - with a bit of luck, we would have had a bag full.
We were pretty dominant . They had a spell after we scored which was probably the relaxing we see so often after a goal.
Very disappointed with their goal. Csme from nothing. 9.5 times outta 10 the ref gives a foul on ogbene. However, losing the ball there plays to the achiles heel of that formation. Possibly a defensive mistake too following that.
Then we battered them really. It was nigh impossible for them to get out of their half for 20 minutes. Haven't seen that level of pressure for many a year . Still, it was a good defensive wall lincoln put up. The chances were good enough to convert , but the quality to finish wasn't. The exception was the Grigg chance. That was a fine save.
I commend PW for his sheer bravery. I'm not sure I agree with the starting 11 or the formation
MOM Rathbone.
Grigg has to now start. I think PW has been far to polite to Freddie. Poor Saturday. Very average today.
I agree the ref was poor but if he had booked more players I think smith would have been sent off as he should have been booked in the first half for the pulling their player back.
Ogbene played very well and I agree his crossing was a lot better last night, my point about his crossing is the consistency of it over a range of games, I know the argument if he was that good he wouldn't be with us, the counter to that is if he improves with us then he will get a better move and we make money whilst having a even better Ogbene. I do think we need a plan B for when Ogbene is marked out of the game.
i was impressed with the pressing last night that was better, putting Sadlier on as left wing back was a poor decision when the natural replacement was Wiles.
It is a good point, should have been 3, I suspect we will lose on saturday and win against crewe and still sit mid-table. When we get to 12 games it will be over 25% of the season, that is a good time to see where we really are and is a good indicator of where we are likely to end up.
Oh and i think mattock did well last night, he is a suspension nightmare as he has lost some pace now and keeps getting booked, but he did well
One other observation from last night. Lincoln's ground is not the best and the seating for away fans is appalling. However, my main criticism is the advertising lighting on the hoardings which they have on throughout the game, flashing and changing at different brightness. The difference between the two kits last night was not significant and it was virtually impossible to either see which team had the ball or what was actually happening in the other half of the field which was really frustrating.
There are plans in for a new ground - the sooner the better!
I have only seen the highlights and looked at what people have said so i cannot really comment on last nights game. However, last season we went down and one of the main reasons was our failure to take chances. Michael smith is a massive part as to how we play. He contributes so much for us but his completion rate re taking chances must be up there with the worst in any division. Ok he has scored a few this season but on last nights highlights he missed several chances and most of them were from close range. Until Smith or others take these clear cut chances we will fall short. Grigg might be the answer and has to start at Bolton. I think this squad of players is far superior to the last one in this division. Anything lower than sixth would be a failure, if we can keep the bulk of this squad fit for most of the season.
