Ahead of the Wycombe Wanderers fixture, Mark Kennedy emphasised what it takes to be a player at Lincoln City whilst he is Head Coach.
You can discuss what Mark Kennedy has said ahead of this match HERE, as well as get involved with our Wycombe Wanderers v Lincoln City Match Thread.
Jordan Wright: The player has been excellent all year and thoroughly deserves his contract extension. He has excellent attributes at 6′ 7″ tall, he ‘kicks’ well, and makes really big saves. He does need to work at being more dominant on crosses.
“He’s going to make a really good number one when the time’s right”.
Whether Jordan will be the Imps No. 1 next year is an ongoing conversation but he is a huge part of MK’s thinking without getting too far ahead.
MK was asked to consider the excellent value Lincoln have benefitted from by utilising loan goalkeepers in recent seasons. He took the view that initially he had been reticent as the role was very specific to the one position, but there is no denying the affordability of top, grade A players to play in goal. However, it is important to balance the VFM aspect against the desirability to supplant the club’s own players.
Any Other Contract News?: There is no current news on other players out of contract but be rest assured that MK and the club have invested significant time and energy to ongoing conversations over a good period of time. It is not something that the club have just suddenly woken up to but it is appropriate to concentrate on the remaining fixtures at this juncture.
Attractiveness of the Club to Potential Signings: MK concurred that recent form is helpful but ‘it’ goes deeper than that. Before arriving at Lincoln, the club already had a top reputation within the game regarding aspects such as loan development and a willingness to play young players; with nothing changing MK’s mind about that whilst he has been in post.
MK invited consideration about how well the club has progressed over the past decade in terms of matters like league status, attendances and previous achievements of managers which MK hopes he has added to personally.
‘The club has proven itself undoubtedly, that it’s a progressive club and that it’s moving in the right direction’.
Wycombe Wanderers – The injuries to Danny Mandroiu and Ben House are still being managed conservatively with a decision on their fitness to be made ahead of the match. Wycombe are under new management following the departure of Gareth Ainsworth and whilst their style of play will not move from A to Z instantaneously the new manager will want to make his own mark, with signs of that already visible.
Like previous opponents Barnsley, Wycombe too are in the promotion hunt but it is impossible for MK to say how that will manifest itself in their performance.
MK simply wants to win as many games and finish as high as possible.
‘We haven’t played a game this year that we’ve gone into not believing anything other than we can win and Saturday will be no different’.
MK Expectations of his Players: Notwithstanding that MK thinks the Imps are a very good team, have excellent staff and club set-up, he does see desire as a key component of what he demands from the current players and potential signings.
‘If you don’t constantly put your body on the line for your team mates before you, well 1) you won’t be here and 2) you’re not going to be able to last very long in life; but ultimately I think we are a good side’.
Desire in itself cannot be taught it has to be there, even so, it is something that MK and others can draw out, help develop and pass on the benefits of their own experiences, good or bad. MK gave an anecdotal example regarding a conversation with an unnamed young player earlier in the season. It had been an honest, strong but ‘loving’ discussion about what needed to change if the player had a future at the club, as that is the reality of football. Consequently, the player bought massively into that and his physical ‘numbers’ completely changed. The player simply needed some guidance and an understanding of what ‘elite’ looks like.
Concerning new recruits, MK considers a four-way model incorporating ‘tactical, technical, psychological and physical’ of which the last two certainly feature in his thoughts.
‘If you haven’t got an availability to train and play you won’t be here’. Likewise, any player has to be able to handle the high-octane, volcanic atmosphere that exists at Lincoln.
That does necessitate a lot of hard work to find answers to those questions before a player is signed, with MK confident that the correct people, knowledge within the game, contacts and recruitment team are in place to get that right accurately more often than not.
Writer: hulloutpost
MK: "If you haven't got an availability to train and play you won't be here."https://t.co/k1iV1rF8ZL#Chairboys #ImpsAsOne #WeAreImps
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) April 22, 2023
