Many thanks to Andy for answering the following questions ahead of our game against Chester today.
Many thanks to Andy for answering the following questions ahead of our game against Chester today.
Not going to the game today? Join us on Vital Lincoln City for Team News & Match Updates RIGHT HERE.
How Long Have You Supported Chester?
20 Years.
Last Season’s league Finish?
12th – Bang in the middle.
What Do You Think Of Your Manager?
You can’t really argue with his track record at this level, he’s done well here guiding us to a comfortable finish after being reprieved. He did that expecting us to start the season in the Conference North, and signing a few players for that level that eventually exceeded expectations. He can be frustrating being so attack minded but the positives outweigh the negatives.
Hopes/Expectations This Season?
At the start of the season I was hoping to improve a few places on our finish last season, to finish a bit closer to the play-offs, maybe 8th or 9th. I still think that’s achievable but we need to improve, right now we’re too inconsistent and a soft touch away from home to do it.
One(s) To Watch?
Ben Heneghan is our most highly rated amongst the fans, young centre half who we picked up on a free after being released from Stoke at the beginning of last season. He ended up being voted our player of the season and chipped in with a lot of goals including a pretty memorable 94th minute winner against Wrexham. You know what that means.
You didn’t sign too many players in the summer but seems to have brought in well with the highly rated Tom Shaw and an experienced head in Ian Sharps. How have they done?
I think after the improvement last season, the squad only really needed fine tuning rather than an overhaul. Shaw knows all about this league after his exploits for Cambridge and Alfreton and has scored in the last two games after being allowed to get forward more. Sharps is a good old wise head, he’s not the quickest these days but his no nonsense attitude and intelligence on the pitch helps negate that. The only issue we’ve been left with is we’ve got a very thin squad so we need luck with injuries, and so far, typically, guess what, we haven’t had it.
Just checking your home and away form and it’s quite a contrast. One loss at home and not conceding too many compared to 5 losses away from home shipping goals left, right and centre by the looks of it. Are there any thought on that?
It is strange considering last season our away form was stronger than our home form. We play some good football at home and try to go and do it away, but we’re a bit of a soft touch there as we aren’t the biggest side you will see and get bullied out of things.
Since we’ve been in the Conference, Steve Burr always seems to have adopted a we’ll score more than you approach. Has that continued into this season and would you prefer it to be a bit less gung-ho?
That’s just him, there’s been a few occasions since he arrived where we’ve conceded late equalisers in the 92nd minute and gone and scored again ourselves in the 94th. We’ve got an annoying habit at the moment of conceding soon after we score, I wish he would just tighten it up a bit at times.
Top five predictions?
Grimsby
Forest Green
Tranmere
Cheltenham
Gateshead
Bottom four predictions?
Halifax
Boreham Wood
Torquay
Kidderminster
Thoughts on Lincoln City?
Always been a bit hit and miss but have been impressed so far this season. I did envisage improvement but still not sure about the play-offs yet though. You seem to have replaced Tomlinson’s goals well with Rhead, although I couldn’t see him doing that at the start of the season.
Score Prediction?
Expecting a really tough game, depends if we turn up but as we’re at home we might scrape the win 2-1.
Random Fact About Your Club?
We started the 1974/75 season as the only football league club to have never been promoted, at last we did it and I’m sure some of your fans will remember that quite well, as it was your good selves we pipped to it by a narrow goal average. That was a belting season for us as we reached the League Cup Semi-Finals as well, defeating league champions Leeds and Newcastle on the way before finding Villa too strong.
