Morecambe (h): Three Things The Imps Need To Do To Win

Ahead of tomorrow night’s match at home against Morecambe in League One, I asked the Vital Lincoln City members what three things they think The Imps need to do to pick up all three points.

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Here’s what sedgleyimp said:

1. Get the team balance right. I didn’t go to Plymouth to enjoy our last win but have been at the last two losses. What is clear from both those games is that we are losing the battle in the middle of the park too often. I’m not going to point fingers at individual players here who are trying their best, but some are being asked to play in positions that they are not comfortable in, and as a consequence, they struggle to influence the match. Now I suspect that we will continue with our formation which has been largely 4-2-3-1 against Morecambe with the probability that the returned to fitness Chris Maguire will slot into that number 10 role behind Marquis. For that to work properly you need more than just one true central midfielder. Otherwise, that area of the pitch which is so crucial in every game could easily get lost again.

2. Switch the wide players. I still would like to see what Morgan Whitaker can do on the left-wing. He has a very sweet left foot but his right one is used for little more than standing on. As a consequence when he is looking for the ball he is always coming inside. At MK Dons he was looking for space in congested areas meaning gaps down the side weren’t being exploited. If He was switched to the left with Scully down the right I think we might see a very different performance from him, one where he will look to get around the outside using pace and skill. Him being stuck on the right doesn’t give him that same opportunity.

3. Don’t give Cole Stockton a sniff. I don’t want to suggest that Morecambe is a one-man team, but if we stop Stockton from playing tomorrow night I think they will struggle to cause us too many problems. Perhaps looking towards this game was the reason that Walsh wasn’t given a run out last Saturday. A fully fit Joe Walsh will deal with the threat he poses, but we need to ensure that if that is Plan A and it falls to pieces pre or during the game that we have enough ability and nous to stop him getting a chance.

And here’s what Chimpimp said:

1. Morecambe are another big physical team and will play reasonably direct. They are however a side of limited ability. Despite having a striker (Stockton) available all season, that would have seen us near the play-offs, they languish behind us in the league. So we need to take advantage of that and play in the manner most likely to show we have better footballers. To have Scully and Marquis in the side and not to set up to supply them with chances, first and foremost would be a timid approach.

2. Choose the right approach. Cautious and compact is one. Put on another midfield, Sanders? to make us less vulnerable to the odd attack that might go through the middle. All fine in theory but unless you are confident we are quite likely to turn into Arsenal of the seventies and eighties, it’s a pretty unlikely approach to succeed. So a more attacking approach makes more sense. More likely to win 3-2 than 1-0, I would have thought. Maguire in place of Cullen would add some craft and know-how and go some way to making us more competitive without losing sight of our strengths.

3. Different plans and styles are all very well but we will need to defend balls into the box and set-pieces better than we have done recently. You can have a seven-man midfield but you won’t be able to stop the long ball and set pieces being launched into the box. So don’t lie down on the penalty spot hoping for a free kick or get vaguely close to your man but still see him get first contact at corners. Stop these chances resulting in soft goals and the job is so much easier.

4. I still think yellow shirts are the real answer.

If Morecambe turn up in a custard-looking strip, beware.

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

Morecambe (h): Three Things The Imps Need To Do To Win:https://t.co/wMbeh2OrLc#ImpsAsOne #Shrimps

— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) February 7, 2022