It looks like Jason Beardsley’s about to leave us. The 22-year-old full back has been playing without pay all season, on a performance-based contract (£350 per appearance). He hasn’t managed to break into the first team, though—never even making the bench for a competitive fixture.
I value having him there as a reserve, but not enough to ask him to join us full time. He now has four clubs vying for his signature, and I say best of luck to the lad. I hope he gets first-team football wherever he ends up.
Olembé still has CSKA Sofia sniffing around, considering an offer, but no one else in the squad appears to be a transfer target…unfortunately.
Monday, 8 October 2012
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Day 175
I named an unchanged team for the trip to Telford. The boys have been playing so well together, and I don’t want to tinker with a successful formula.
Olembé nearly curled one in from way out on the left flank at the four-minute mark. We got a couple more chances in the opening ten minutes, suggesting that we were in for a high-scoring—or at least entertaining—match.
AFC Telford’s veteran winger Steve Jones went within inches of a freak goal in the 39th minute. His cross from deep went way off course, and Anyon had to react quickly to keep the ball from sneaking inside the post. The looks on both their faces told all the story needed—relief for Anyon and a bemused grin for Jones.
All square at the break, I couldn’t help but be disappointed that we didn’t manage to do more with the momentum we’d been building. I told the players I wasn’t happy, and sent them out to win the match.
The deadlock finally came on the hour mark. Omar Koroma received Richardson’s pass with his back to goal, but the striker quickly turned and sped past his marker. Racing unchallenged into the box, the striker fired low and hard towards goal, beating the diving Telford keeper with an excellent finish.
Olembé could have put the game beyond doubt ten minutes later, running on to a long through pass from the left wing. The Cameroonian’s shot ballooned into orbit, however—a great chance wasted.
Koroma took a knock in the 72nd minute. It didn’t look too serious, but it knocked the wind right out of his sails for several minutes. It proved most unfortunate when the striker was half a yard too slow to react to the rebound when Young could only parry Barnes-Homer’s shot.
We held on for the one-nil win, threatening to score a few more times in the closing stages, but it was far from convincing. I told the team off for underperforming. A win may well be a win, but a better team would have punished us for that lacklustre display.
Wrexham’s unbeaten streak finally ended, leaving them in third place seven points adrift (with a game in hand). Mansfield are still in touch with us, though, four points behind with a catch-up game still to play.
We’ve still got one match to play before the New Year, but we’re guaranteed to be top going into January. That’s the only news I could get (at this stage of the season) better than being top at Christmas (which we already accomplished).
Olembé nearly curled one in from way out on the left flank at the four-minute mark. We got a couple more chances in the opening ten minutes, suggesting that we were in for a high-scoring—or at least entertaining—match.
AFC Telford’s veteran winger Steve Jones went within inches of a freak goal in the 39th minute. His cross from deep went way off course, and Anyon had to react quickly to keep the ball from sneaking inside the post. The looks on both their faces told all the story needed—relief for Anyon and a bemused grin for Jones.
All square at the break, I couldn’t help but be disappointed that we didn’t manage to do more with the momentum we’d been building. I told the players I wasn’t happy, and sent them out to win the match.
The deadlock finally came on the hour mark. Omar Koroma received Richardson’s pass with his back to goal, but the striker quickly turned and sped past his marker. Racing unchallenged into the box, the striker fired low and hard towards goal, beating the diving Telford keeper with an excellent finish.
Olembé could have put the game beyond doubt ten minutes later, running on to a long through pass from the left wing. The Cameroonian’s shot ballooned into orbit, however—a great chance wasted.
Koroma took a knock in the 72nd minute. It didn’t look too serious, but it knocked the wind right out of his sails for several minutes. It proved most unfortunate when the striker was half a yard too slow to react to the rebound when Young could only parry Barnes-Homer’s shot.
We held on for the one-nil win, threatening to score a few more times in the closing stages, but it was far from convincing. I told the team off for underperforming. A win may well be a win, but a better team would have punished us for that lacklustre display.
Wrexham’s unbeaten streak finally ended, leaving them in third place seven points adrift (with a game in hand). Mansfield are still in touch with us, though, four points behind with a catch-up game still to play.
We’ve still got one match to play before the New Year, but we’re guaranteed to be top going into January. That’s the only news I could get (at this stage of the season) better than being top at Christmas (which we already accomplished).
Friday, 5 October 2012
Day 174
Tomorrow’s match day. We’ll be visiting AFC Telford, who we beat 4-1 on the opening day of the season. Olembé and Barnes-Homer worked their magic that day. I’m hoping they can do the same again—both players have had a slight downturn in form recently.
But I’ll worry about that later because today is Christmas Day. Get off my lawn; I want to eat some turkey and ham and pudding.
What, you’re still here? I said bugger off, I’m hungry. Come back tomorrow.
But I’ll worry about that later because today is Christmas Day. Get off my lawn; I want to eat some turkey and ham and pudding.
What, you’re still here? I said bugger off, I’m hungry. Come back tomorrow.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Day 173
We 4-6 favorites to win away from home against AFC Telford on Boxing Day (in two days time). They are on a terrible run of form, with six games without a win (four if you only count league matches).
Mark Bradshaw agrees that Elvijs Putnins would be our first-choice keeper if we coaxed him into a Lincoln shirt. It’s settled, then, when the transfer window reopens, I’ll put in a loan offer.
Mark Bradshaw agrees that Elvijs Putnins would be our first-choice keeper if we coaxed him into a Lincoln shirt. It’s settled, then, when the transfer window reopens, I’ll put in a loan offer.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Day 172
The transfer window reopens in just over a week, so it’s time to start to looking at potential signings again.
Jason Fowler reported on Bishop’s Stortford’s young left back Sebastian Dunbar. He’s not much chop now, but the lad’ll be as good Olembé in a few years, Fowler says. I asked for a second opinion, but I’m leaning towards offering him a contract (he’s currently an amateur) and taking my chances.
Twenty-year-old Latvian keeper Evijs Putnins, who currently languishes in the QPR Reserves team, is better than our current number 1 Joe Anyon—at least Grant Brown thinks so. We should be able to get him on loan for the second half of the season, although there’s a good chance that we could buy him for around £50,000 (if we had the money). He’s also in the final year of his contact. Putnins doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, so I’m keen to go after him.
Jason Fowler reported on Bishop’s Stortford’s young left back Sebastian Dunbar. He’s not much chop now, but the lad’ll be as good Olembé in a few years, Fowler says. I asked for a second opinion, but I’m leaning towards offering him a contract (he’s currently an amateur) and taking my chances.
Twenty-year-old Latvian keeper Evijs Putnins, who currently languishes in the QPR Reserves team, is better than our current number 1 Joe Anyon—at least Grant Brown thinks so. We should be able to get him on loan for the second half of the season, although there’s a good chance that we could buy him for around £50,000 (if we had the money). He’s also in the final year of his contact. Putnins doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, so I’m keen to go after him.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Day 171
With just over a week left until New Year, the club’s declining finances don’t appear to be getting any better. There’s a clear downward trend, from a positive balance at the beginning of July to over a quarter million pounds overdraft today. If you look carefully, it seems that the losses are, ah, lessening.
It’s like we’re losing money on a gentle trend of exponential decay, with the asymptote somewhere between £500,000 and a million pounds in the red.
I’m watching this nervously because I desperately don’t want to be forced into selling Olembé, Barnes-Homer, Koroma, or Shuker—my star players. If an unsolicited offer way above market value comes along, that’s a different story—we’ll consider it in terms of where that money could be reinvested. But if I have to transfer list anyone to raise funds to pay off debts, that could turn out to be a deal breaker for my future as Lincoln manager (depending on whether or not we go on to win the league).
It’s like we’re losing money on a gentle trend of exponential decay, with the asymptote somewhere between £500,000 and a million pounds in the red.
I’m watching this nervously because I desperately don’t want to be forced into selling Olembé, Barnes-Homer, Koroma, or Shuker—my star players. If an unsolicited offer way above market value comes along, that’s a different story—we’ll consider it in terms of where that money could be reinvested. But if I have to transfer list anyone to raise funds to pay off debts, that could turn out to be a deal breaker for my future as Lincoln manager (depending on whether or not we go on to win the league).
Monday, 1 October 2012
Day 170
We fielded an unchanged lineup from the team that drew 2-2 with Darlington last week.
It took just seven minutes for us to take the lead. Kettering defender Jerel Ifil sliced Koroma’s cross into the inside top of the net, to the horror of his teammates.
Koroma doubled our lead three minutes later, charging ahead of a crowd of players to convert Olembé’s corner.
We weren’t done yet. Koroma popped up again in the 34th minute to score his second. Shuker crossed towards the penalty spot, but the ball was cut out by Sangare. He couldn’t control it, however, and the ball dropped at Koroma’s feet. The in-form striker half-volleyed past a hapless Laurie Walker.
Kettering started to put up a fight after the break, but we still looked comfortably in control. I subbed Shuker and Woods off to keep them fresh for the next match.
Craig Lindfield gave Kettering a lifeline back into the match in the 70th minute, cutting inside from the left and firing a brilliant shot into the top corner.
The final 20 minutes were a little nervy, with Kettering desperate for goals and my boys caught between complacency and over-confidence. But we held on for a 3-1 win. It’s not quite the thrashing that I wanted, but it’s a clear margin and we were totally dominant in the first half.
Mansfield lost and Wrexham won, so we’re now four points clear of two sides that each have a game in hand. For the first time this season, Mansfield are outside the top two places—in third on goal difference.
The board ran a fan day today, and it resulted in a boon of 2,796 people attending the match. That’s still barely a quarter of the stadium capacity, but it’s a great turnout for a game at this level.
Koroma’s brace sees him leapfrog Barnes-Homer as our top goalscorer so far this season, despite having appeared in six fewer games. He’s in incredible form at the moment, buoyed by the equally stunning performances of Shuker on the right flank.
It took just seven minutes for us to take the lead. Kettering defender Jerel Ifil sliced Koroma’s cross into the inside top of the net, to the horror of his teammates.
Koroma doubled our lead three minutes later, charging ahead of a crowd of players to convert Olembé’s corner.
We weren’t done yet. Koroma popped up again in the 34th minute to score his second. Shuker crossed towards the penalty spot, but the ball was cut out by Sangare. He couldn’t control it, however, and the ball dropped at Koroma’s feet. The in-form striker half-volleyed past a hapless Laurie Walker.
Kettering started to put up a fight after the break, but we still looked comfortably in control. I subbed Shuker and Woods off to keep them fresh for the next match.
Craig Lindfield gave Kettering a lifeline back into the match in the 70th minute, cutting inside from the left and firing a brilliant shot into the top corner.
The final 20 minutes were a little nervy, with Kettering desperate for goals and my boys caught between complacency and over-confidence. But we held on for a 3-1 win. It’s not quite the thrashing that I wanted, but it’s a clear margin and we were totally dominant in the first half.
Mansfield lost and Wrexham won, so we’re now four points clear of two sides that each have a game in hand. For the first time this season, Mansfield are outside the top two places—in third on goal difference.
The board ran a fan day today, and it resulted in a boon of 2,796 people attending the match. That’s still barely a quarter of the stadium capacity, but it’s a great turnout for a game at this level.
Koroma’s brace sees him leapfrog Barnes-Homer as our top goalscorer so far this season, despite having appeared in six fewer games. He’s in incredible form at the moment, buoyed by the equally stunning performances of Shuker on the right flank.
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