“I think it’s fair to say that there were a few question marks over some of his initial performances.”

Following Saturday’s 2-0 win away at Rotherham United in Sky Bet League One, we asked our members what three things they learned from the match.

Here’s what sedgleyimp said:

1. Cian Bolger is a League One class defender. When he came to us in January I think it’s fair to say that there were a few question marks over some of his initial performances and with the step up in division those questions would in most likely quickly resurface. Well after yesterday there is no doubt in my mind that we have a quality player on our books. He was immense and has clearly benefited from a summer of pre-season training. An international call up for the Irish in the offing?

2. Joe Morrell will be a key player for us for the whole season. We need a tiger in the middle of the park who will win the ball back for us and protect the back four. Morrell is this. The number of tackles he won in the centre yesterday was fantastic. Our N’Golo Kanté.

3. Rotherham away was a big test for the team. Unlucky to be relegated from the Championship last season this match was probably a free hit for us in so much as if we’d lost it wouldn’t have been a massive shock. What we saw yesterday was that we are the real deal in this very tough league. Without getting carried away with only 2 games gone, other League One teams will be looking at us as genuine contenders if we carry on as we did at Rotherham. Great times these.

And here’s what kickingimp said:

1. I thought the Rotherham midfield were excellent in limiting our ability to play, closing down space in numbers and forcing a tempo. When times are tough like that individual excellence of players like Morrell and Payne allowed us to bring the game to them.

2. I think the number of changes to the Rotherham side since relegation meant that the team cohesion is not fully there yet and we capitalised on lapses of concentration to score from set plays. The cheeky line pass to Walker is one we have played many times and the resulting pass was to be met by two lincoln players in the box before it was put away by Shaun MacDonald. The other a really well-worked corner where the attacking players leave a space in the six-yard box by competing at the back/ front post for Harry to exploit his acceleration from the 18-yard box to bury the ball into the goal from 6 yards out. I would expect Rotherham (and many of the other fancied teams) to be less susceptible to these set pieces as the season progresses.

3. All the praise for the result must go to the trinity of players that put everything on the line. Between them, Bolger, Bozzie and Vickers blocked, saved, cleared everything thrown at them. Vickers is looking like fulfilling the potential of being the ex-Arsenal Youth that we hoped he would be, pre-injury, rather than the forlorn figure in pre-season. This is helped by having a fighting fit duo of “put everything on the line” Bozzie and “I’ve got three games to stake a claim” Bolger. There is nothing better for the team than when the players make it difficult for the manager to pick the starting 11.

Thank you to Graham Burrell and Lincoln City Football Club for the photograph!

"I think it's fair to say that there were a few question marks over some of his initial performances."https://t.co/KwDZDhgXGP #RUFC #ImpsAsOne #ProudToBeImps

— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) August 12, 2019