Danny Cowley spoke to the media earlier today, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Morecambe in Sky Bet League Two.
Special guest was Imps fan James, who saved a penalty from the manager today.
Against Stevenage we didn’t start as well as we would have liked and obviously failed to see the game out. We were hurt and disappointed by conceding two late goals but we always try to learn whether we win, lose or draw. In recent games, certain variables have gone against us. But we have conceded late goals recently, there are different reasons for that, and we have spent some time this week working on how to see a game out. If you see a pattern you don’t like, you have to make a change. DC never believes in burying your head in the sand. Doing the same thing time and time again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
Asked how he makes his team selections generally, DC spends a lot of time trying to find the best team for any given match. Firstly, he has to be aware of his own team: form, partnerships, conditions, the pitch, the weather and so on. But he also has to be aware of the opposition. They are all variables that go into the melting pot. He doesn’t always get it right, but he has to understand how the opposition is likely to play.
As for Morecambe, DC watched them win 2-1 at Oldham on Tuesday night. Jim Bentley has done an amazing job there. To be the longest-serving manager in the FL at a club like Morecambe requires an amazing amount of resilience. Year after year he loses his best players but manages to find replacements to keep their heads above water.
They have a good team, full of resilience and grit like their manager. Morecambe have a direct option into Richie Bennett, who keeps the ball up the pitch. Left-back Jordan Cranston is direct with his running and gives them penetration. They have Kevin Ellison, 40 on Saturday, who carries a goal threat. Piero Mingoia is a good combination and link player, and they have an experienced and organised back four that is well-protected by Alex Kenyon just in front of it. They will be buoyed by the two wins they have had, and have a real spirit and togetherness about them.
However, we are clear on what they are, we know where their strengths lie and also how to take them to places they don’t want to go. It will be a tough game for us but we are looking forward to showing what we are made of. We want to get back to winning ways, we are a team used to winning.
We are in a good place in terms of fitness, which is a real credit to the medical and sports science team. We have three tough games in a short period of time and will need everybody. Bar Sam Habergham, the whole squad trained today (Thursday). Josh Vickers and Matt Gilks have trained on grass this week; we now have three really good goalkeepers at our disposal.
DC compared what it is like chasing promotion in the FL to chasing promotion in the non-leagues: each time is a little bit different. This time he has transfer windows to contend with. It helps to be full-time, it is harder to influence the players on a part-time basis. But you have to work relentlessly hard and you must have a will to succeed whatever league you play in. There is a big difference between the top of the National League and the bottom, but the gap between the top of League Two and the bottom is not as great. That makes it more difficult to do the double over any team in League Two (we have none so far this season despite being top for so long).
Despite four successive draws, we are on a great run: one defeat in seventeen games, and only Lincoln and Bury are unbeaten since the turn of the year. DC also alluded to negative comments made in some quarters. Everyone has an opinion: people can question us in terms of the technical ability of our players, our decisions and even tactically, but anyone who questions us in terms of character does so at their peril because they will be apologising in the summer. If there is a problem with effort or attitude, DC will be brutally critical of the players; if it is technical or tactical errors, that is different provided they are not recurring errors. They are there to help the players, not hinder them. Therefore they were not critical of them after the Stevenage game.
Cowley quotes:
“When the players came off on Saturday…I promise you, even the most diehard Lincoln City supporter won’t hurt any more than we or our players do. It’s our life, we live it, we can’t get away from it, it is 24/7.”
“We have no God-given right to be top of the table because we are Lincoln City. The players have done brilliantly for this club and deserve our complete and unconditional support.”
Writer: Scotimp
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DC: "The players have done brilliantly for this club and deserve our complete and unconditional support."https://t.co/TEeUaNQkMi#MorecambeFC #Morecambe #ImpsAsOne
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) February 21, 2019
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