Matches Top 6 Race 2023/24

[Fred]

I bet our budget far, far exceeds Lincoln. Management is the difference.

I wonder what their player budget is? Someone is financing a £2.6m loss in their last financial results.

 

[Big Ron]

No . The difference is in January they brought in loanee Joe Taylor who has scored 9 goals in 17 games. They are more clinical in front of goal than us aswell. That isn't anything to do with the manager.

It’s a lot to do with the manager - he took over prior to Xmas, simplified the style of play and fully embraced the style of management we saw on Tuesday. He also secured Taylor on loan and got more out of the players he had. Odd to say it was nothing to do with him.

 

[38yearsofpain]

No . The difference is in January they brought in loanee Joe Taylor who has scored 9 goals in 17 games. They are more clinical in front of goal than us aswell. That isn't anything to do with the manager.

But it is certainly is all about recruitment. Compare and contrast Lincoln's January window with ours. Why is it year after year we bring in half fit injury prone players when you have a realistic chance of play offs and promotion.
They bring in Joe Taylor on loan 9 goals in 17 whilst we bring in Goodwin who never even managed 9 games and 1 solatary goal.

 

[Pgyellow]

When we had so many injured or recovering players already it's concerning that we then signed more of the same in a position we desperately needed at least cover. I thought they said Goodwin was a target for this summer that we decided to go early on. But then we loaned out GOD leaving us alarmingly short.

 

[uptheus]

I’m going to be optimistic. The time for the post mortem is after next week. And there’s a lot to digest.

If you’d have offered me a serious chance of playoffs one year after escaping relegation by the skin of our teeth, I would have bitten your arm off. That’s still the case.

Football is a funny old game. Here’s to a week of optimism.

The thing is, last season’s situation was down to Robinson having lost the plot and the senior management not managing the situation very well or at all. We should never have been in that situation and probably wouldn’t have been if Robinson was offloaded a lot earlier (October), so we massively underachieved last season, so not sure if we can even compare this season with last season!

However which way you put it, based upon the budgets we’ve had over the last two seasons, if we don’t make the play offs again I think we’ve underachieved, especially with the start we had!

Fingers crossed it goes well next weekend!!

 

[Peterdev]

Difficult situation next week. It looks very much out of our hands now as Lincoln just have to beat Portsmouth 2-1 as I’m sure we won’t get another cricket score.
Who knows as that’s the magic of the football league.
I just bemoan the fact that we deserved a point against Lincoln, and it could have all been done and dusted as far as a play off place is concerned.
Goodwin is obviously a big regret as his goals would have more than likely have counted for something

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

I really want to finish in the playoffs because I want to see Des given a chance to prove himself in a knockout game with an almost fully fit squad who’ve had a week’s rest, playing another decent side over two legs. No excuses, just can you get the job done?

 

[tonyw]

But it is certainly is all about recruitment. Compare and contrast Lincoln's January window with ours. Why is it year after year we bring in half fit injury prone players when you have a realistic chance of play offs and promotion.
They bring in Joe Taylor on loan 9 goals in 17 whilst we bring in Goodwin who never even managed 9 games and 1 solatary goal.

Yep.

They've had 1,298 minutes out of Joe Taylor. We got 231 minutes out of Goodwin (as well as 254 minutes out of Matete, and 255 minutes out of Burey).

It's exactly the same as what we did two years ago - we desperately needed a forward to give our overworked front line a breather as we gunned for the playoffs. We brought in Marcus Browne and got the equivalent of less than two games out of him. Then we brought in Sam Baldock, and got about four games out of him. And in the meantime, we got rid of Dan Agyei, who while being a more limited player, was at least fit and able to contribute.

For a club our size, we are spending an absurd amount of money. But unless we start doing it smarter, and being more pragmatic with our signings - bringing in people who can do a job for us now, rather than players who "are going to be amazing......as soon as we can get them onto the pitch", then that money is going to continue to be wasted. I don't think Owen Dale is the most talented of our outfield January signings - in fact he probably has the lowest ceiling of all of them. But he's been by far the best. Just think how much better off we'd be now if we'd picked up three more solid League One players like him rather than two talented sicknotes and a talented head case.

 

[tomoufc]

Yep.

They've had 1,298 minutes out of Joe Taylor. We got 231 minutes out of Goodwin (as well as 254 minutes out of Matete, and 255 minutes out of Burey).

It's exactly the same as what we did two years ago - we desperately needed a forward to give our overworked front line a breather as we gunned for the playoffs. We brought in Marcus Browne and got the equivalent of less than two games out of him. Then we brought in Sam Baldock, and got about four games out of him. And in the meantime, we got rid of Dan Agyei, who while being a more limited player, was at least fit and able to contribute.

For a club our size, we are spending an absurd amount of money. But unless we start doing it smarter, and being more pragmatic with our signings - bringing in people who can do a job for us now, rather than players who "are going to be amazing......as soon as we can get them onto the pitch", then that money is going to continue to be wasted. I don't think Owen Dale is the most talented of our outfield January signings - in fact he probably has the lowest ceiling of all of them. But he's been by far the best. Just think how much better off we'd be now if we'd picked up three more solid League One players like him rather than two talented sicknotes and a talented head case.

Really we needed Goodwin as a long term, but then another striker on loan. But it’s not a buyers’ market.

 

[greatunclekip]

The thing is, last season’s situation was down to Robinson having lost the plot and the senior management not managing the situation very well or at all. We should never have been in that situation and probably wouldn’t have been if Robinson was offloaded a lot earlier (October), so we massively underachieved last season, so not sure if we can even compare this season with last season!

However you put it, based upon the budgets we’ve had over the last two seasons if we don’t make the play offs again, I think we’ve underachieved, especially with the start we had!

Fingers crossed it goes well next weekend!!

This is the analysis for after next week

 

[38yearsofpain]

Really we needed Goodwin as a long term, but then another striker on loan. But it’s not a buyers’ market.

But it certainly was and always is a hirers market.

 

[BicesterU]

Already nervous about next weekend.

In a way, knowing that we have to win probably simplifies things a bit - I think I’d prefer that to be the case than having the option of playing for a draw or whatever. Obviously the circumstances it has come in isn’t ideal.

I really, really hope we make and it and there’s every chance we still will. Portsmouth will want to finish on a high, and there’ll be players there who will want to make a point to Mous ahead of the transfer window and them going up a division.

It’s not done til it’s done, and we’re in the mix on the final day when anything can happen.

All this ‘we don’t deserve it’ stuff is rubbish. If we finish in the top six, we will have deserved it. If we don’t, we won’t.

Either way, I’m excited for next season and beyond.

 

[uptheus]

Just think the season will end with the teams in the current positions, with Bolton and Peterborough ending up in the final and Peterborough winning it!!

 

[OX14]

It’s a lot to do with the manager - he took over prior to Xmas, simplified the style of play and fully embraced the style of management we saw on Tuesday. He also secured Taylor on loan and got more out of the players he had. Odd to say it was nothing to do with him.

Possibly Lincoln had a better squad but were underperforming before Scubala came in where Buckingham had took over a side who were out performing. We certainly wasn't setting the league alight at the end of Mannings tenure. Recruitment isn't just down to Des either.

 

[tonyw]

Torquay. Their penalty taker tried a Panenka. He failed.

Think I've found it, and you're right, it was Torquay:

Lincoln City 1-1 Torquay United 2003 | 📆 #OnThisDay 2003... our first ever appearance in the end of season play-offs were confirmed. ❌ Alan Marriott. 🥅 Simon Yeo. #ImpsAsOne | By Lincoln City Football ClubFacebook

📆 #OnThisDay 2003... our first ever appearance in the end of season play-offs were confirmed. ❌ Alan Marriott. 🥅 Simon Yeo. #ImpsAsOne

www.facebook.com

You only get about two seconds of the penalty, but enough to see Alan Marriott giving the Torquay taker the 'You t**t' finger wag.

Here's hoping we don't get a repeat 21 years later. I'm not sure there's anyone in the Pompey squad who's enough of a goon to take a penalty like that.....at least now they've gotten rid of Ronan Curtis.....

 

[Jon-ioualways]

The only way we can end up level with Blackpool is if they draw on Saturday, and we lose, and then we finish 7th and 8th.

It didn't matter whether they won by 1 goal or 45......the important thing was that they won, and therefore we now have two chances as long as we win against Exeter.

Oh, right!

Maths was never my strong suit. Just ask Silverox.

 

[greatunclekip]

Possibly Lincoln had a better squad but were underperforming before Scubala came in where Buckingham had took over a side who were out performing. We certainly wasn't setting the league alight at the end of Mannings tenure. Recruitment isn't just down to Des either.

They have three players I would take, Keeper, Midfielder (Erhahon) and striker (Taylor) but we have the better squad. If we had any one of those players we’d be home and dry playoff wise.

We went the pretty, wide football option, they went the shithouse option with what they have.

Interestingly Skubalas background is Futsal, all about touch, pass, move.

Definitely adaptable and you have to say he’s done an utterly outstanding job there.

 

[Scotchegg]

Interestingly Skubalas background is Futsal, all about touch, pass, move.

Followed by gob off at the ref, foul, roll around on the floor with a pretend head injury, time waste and generally act like complete twats!

It might get Lincoln into the playoffs but I wouldn't want that style of football anywhere near this club.

 

[OX14]

They have three players I would take, Keeper, Midfielder (Erhahon) and striker (Taylor) but we have the better squad. If we had any one of those players we’d be home and dry playoff wise.

We went the pretty, wide football option, they went the shithouse option with what they have.

Interestingly Skubalas background is Futsal, all about touch, pass, move.

Definitely adaptable and you have to say he’s done an utterly outstanding job there.

That's debatable if we have a better whole squad. We have a better starting 11 but have struggled with lack of quality in depth. We have no plan b to go down the shithouse option and I'm glad we don't as I wouldn't pay to watch that shite every week.

 

[Leysboy]

Followed by gob off at the ref, foul, roll around on the floor with a pretend head injury, time waste and generally act like complete twats!

It might get Lincoln into the playoffs but I wouldn't want that style of football anywhere near this club.

Indeed it’s an awful watch, and pretty embarrassing.

Having said that, a bit of shithousery goes along way. It worked wonders having Maguire and Hylton doing it all the time. It clearly works, but yes I’d rather see the team play the game the right way, but sometimes we are very weak and an extremely soft touch.