Mark Kennedy previewed the upcoming fixture against Portsmouth whilst reflecting on what a well-run club the Imps are, following the announcement of new investors.
You can discuss what Mark Kennedy has said ahead of this match HERE, as well as get involved with many other threads on our 100% Imps forum, including the suspension of Lewis Montsma.
NEW QUIZ: Portsmouth (h): Last Time At Sincil Bank: We have also published a quiz about the last time the two sides met at Sincil Bank, which can be found HERE, or at the bottom of the page!
Portsmouth: The Fratton Park outfit are a top 10 side who would probably have been looking at a play-off finish this year. They have a brilliant young coach who has come in to make an instant impact and have really good individuals with experience at their disposal throughout their playing staff. There have been changes (in style) but MK doesn’t expect Pompey to be radically different to earlier in the season as it is impossible to implement wholesale effects within the space of a few games.
MK reflected on the loss of Ben House for the game but explained how he did not see it as an insurmountable issue. Naturally, he is disappointed to lose Ben who has been outstanding in and out of possession this season. MK was discussing with others how good Ben is out of possession and concluded the player is the best he has ever seen. BH is quick, tough, robust, a good size and although he is incredibly quiet, MK would not want to get into a fight with him.
To counter the loss of Ben, MK picked up on how he observes the players train every day. They are the best group, exhibiting togetherness, no egos, no selfishness – everybody is selfless, and this gives somebody else an opportunity.
“Definitely got the ability to bring in people who are more than capable of executing our game plans”.
Team Progression: MK reflected on the flexibility and evolvement of the team set-up throughout the season. Pre-season the emphasis had been very much upon front-foot attacking football. Against Portsmouth the Imps had deployed a 4-3-3 which had turned into a mid-block that worked well in that particular game, becoming an evident approach for a large part of the season. The last three or four games had seen a huge emphasis on returning to how the Imps had approached games at the commencement of the season.
“I think we have adapted to different games and different situations; different periods of the season in terms of who we were playing”.
MK evidenced the Imps had been very front-foot and aggressive versus Accrington and Bristol Rovers but there is no way he would have taken that approach against Derby; it would have been madness.
“I think we’ve shown a real flexibility to mix and match”.
Defensive Strength: The Imps impressive defensive record does not surprise MK. It is not something that happens overnight, with a huge amount of work and input going into the process. MK sees this constantly – on a daily basis in training, not just on match days. There is a collective huge belief in how ‘we’ do things and the players absolutely take all the credit for executing the plans.
MK outlined, for example, a 15-minute video de-brief following the Derby game that had highlighted defensive movements, principles, and triggers.
“If you ask any coach what’s the one thing you want from a player…..it would be somebody who’s coachable, and we’ve got a coachable group of players. They listen, they take on board and they execute very well”.
New Investment and Club Sustainability: MK 100% concurred that the recent new investment exhibited Lincoln as a forward-thinking set-up. It was something which had immediately attracted him to the club.
MK affirmed how everybody (board and Liam Scully) without fail only ever talked about being custodians of the Imps, something they are highly respectful and mindful of. He never sees any egos, the talk is always about what is best for Lincoln, not themselves. MK would think that was unique amongst a number of clubs.
Regarding the new investment: “I know the board and Clive and the people that run the club, run it so well. I’d be super confident that whoever they bring in to work alongside them…….will be very similarly motivated people to themselves…..I can only see it as a huge plus and another example of how the club’s looking to move forward and take it to the next step”.
MK then addressed club sustainability. Of course, MK would love a huge budget even if it came with the pressure of getting sacked should he not hit a promotion target, but throwing money about ‘willy-nilly’ often does not work anyway. MK explained he, therefore, sees club sustainability as something that he cares about. First and foremost Lincoln looks at being well run in a proper manner so that come the end of the season they are not in serious debt; but rather have a great opportunity to build in small blocks, to build forward. It is something the club can be proud of.
“I don’t know every club…..but I can’t imagine there’s many better run than us”.
MK: "They listen, they take on board and they execute very well."https://t.co/gYq92hUMxD#ImpsAsOne #WeAreImps #Pompey
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) February 17, 2023
