Ahead of Friday night’s match away at Blackpool in Sky Bet League One, we asked our members what three things they think The Imps need to do to pick up all three points.
Here’s what Scotimp said:
Three aspects of mindset:
1. Forget about Oxford. Friday is a new start, and brings a game with its own dynamics. Conceding six from seven shots on target is extraordinary, and will probably not happen again for a very long time. No consolation to Lincoln, but Blackpool beat Oxford a few weeks ago despite being completely played off the park by them – perhaps Blackpool are no better than we are. There were threads on Blackpool forums at the time that were incredulous not only that they had won, but also that they had avoided getting thrashed. Have a look at the stats too – it could easily have been Blackpool getting the humping:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49302416
2Bl. Forget about the Cowleys. Friday is a new start, and brings a manager with his own dynamics. Michael Appleton is also returning to his old club, which has its own sub-plot that may work in our favour. I would wager that all 25 players have three months in which to demonstrate that they deserve to be here beyond the January transfer window, and MA will already be forming his own opinions on which ones fit with the way he wants things to be. If the rumours regarding compensation received are correct, MA will have plenty of money to play with.
3. Forget about the first ten games. There has clearly been an atmosphere around the place which was exacerbated when the Cowleys confirmed what the players had obviously been fearing for a few weeks. Performances went from excellent to dire while the Cowley sideshow was taking place. Friday is where the season begins in earnest, 36 games in which the players can show what they are really about. Will the real Lincoln City please stand up?
Who Are The League One Managers? No.3: Simon Grayson (Blackpool)
And here’s what sedgleyimp said:
1. Put Saturday behind us. It was an appalling result and performance but it’s done now so let’s not dwell on it anymore and move on. Yes, the new boss will review it himself and will know how to prevent it happening again but it needs the players and specifically those with years in this game to write it off as an aberration and get back to the basics of this game. Blackpool are a good team at our level and will take advantage of any players of ours who are still feeling sorry for themselves from the Oxford game.
2. On-field leadership. From accounts of those who were able to attend Saturday, it seemed that some players were having some verbal fallouts. This can’t be allowed to continue. It’s been said that we have any number of players who could easily take the Captain’s armband for any match, but we also have some younger players who need guiding properly on the field. Those leaders need to come to the front now and offer guidance during the match and not resort to on-field pointing and rebukes.
3. Listen to the little guy. We have a new manager who seems to know what he is talking about. He has managed ( briefly ) at the highest level and has a reputation for being able to get his message across. He will have learned a lot from the match on Saturday looking on from the stands. Pay attention to his words of wisdom. It’ll pay dividends.
"Friday is a new start, and brings a manager with his own dynamics.":https://t.co/rDrLm4p5nl#BlackpoolFC #ImpsAsOne #ProudToBeImps
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) September 24, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/2421843384518559
