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Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
By Nathan Jackson
September 29 2008
Something that I have been denying on a personal level for a long time happened on Saturday afternoon. After controlling most the first half, the Imps somehow managed not to beat a very poor Morecambe side and it confirmed to me that this current squad isn't good enough for anything more than a midtable mediocrity season.

Throughout the last 23 months, I have sat and watched every single game since we went top after a good performance against Swindon Town. Since then, my enthusiasm for watching the Imps completely disappeared. Peter Jackson came along and boosted it again for a brief time but now it's getting to the point where I am realising that this club is going no-where fast.

One thing that really worried me on Saturday afternoon was that it was platently obvious to everyone that City needed to bring someone on, yet Jacko does nothing. It was the same against Dagenham. Dagenham, much like Morecambe, were piss poor at Sincil Bank and yet got something because Jacko failed to react in time. It's becoming a worrying trend.

To say we dominated the first half against Morecambe is an understatement, over 70% posession in the first half shows that, but we're lacking the killer instinct and defensive stability in order to climb above our current lower midtable position. If Morecambe had played like that against any other side in this division, they would have been destroyed, but then again it didn't help that City's players looked largely uninterested after conceding a very sloppy equaliser.

One part of the problem is that we have still yet to replace most of the players who left during the summer of 2005. Many have come and gone since then but that team would have walked this division easily in recent seasons. Since then we have slowly been getting rid of our more technically gifted players and bringing in players of half the skill. It says it all that Lee Beevers is the only surviving regular first team member of the last season in which we made the Playoff Final.

That's not to say that this squad isn't good on their day, but that's the thing, on their day they are one of the best sides in the division, but the sign of a good side is that they still get results when they are not "on their day" and City lack that. Yeah, we can beat a team like Barnet, but it's hard not to beat a side who don't manage a single shot on goal during an entire game. This team don't know how to perform on a regular basis.

I know people will come up to me and say that we've only lost one in the last five League games, but three of those have been draws. Ask yourself, would you rather play five, winning 2 and losing 3, or win 1, draw 3 and lose the other, either way it doesn't matter. Look at 2005/6 for example, City gained a club record about of draws in that season, most of our run of only 1 defeat in 19 games was draws, if we'd have won just half of those then we'd have easily gone up in the weakest that this division has been for many a year.

I'm not going to criticise any individual this week, but rather the team as a whole. You guys know that you should have been three or four up before Morecambe somehow managed to equalise, after that you gave up. Yes, we created one or two half chances, but we never really looked like equalising and I'm quickly starting to lose all the faith that Peter Jackson installed in me during pre-season.

Something's got to change soon because as bad as Schofield was, he reached 6 points after just three games, it's taken us eight games to reach the same amount. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes us to reach the 8 points that saw Schofield sacked at the beginning of last season.

I'm starting to ask myself - "Is this squad actually capable of a promotion challenge?" - and the answer is no.

THEIMPS.TK UNOFFICIAL PLAYER RATINGS FOR THE GAME AGAINST BRENTFORD

PLAYER

RATING

COMMENTS

1 - ROB BURCH

4

Should have done far better with the goal, can't recall him making any other shots and I'm starting to notice a pattern, he only doesn't concede against teams that don't have any shots.

3 - AARON BROWN

6

Came on, didn't really do a lot.

4 - JANOS KOVACS

5

The amount of free kicks he concedes is just stupid. Other that hoofing and fouling, he doesn't actually seem to be able to do a lot.

5 - LEE BEEVERS

6

No real complaints about Beevers. He seems strangely at home in the left back position considering he's right footed.

6 - FRANK SINCLAIR

6

Nothing really to say considering he didn't even play half the match.

8 - LEE FRECKLINGTON

7

Great finish to the goal and one of the few who looked threatening going forward. Could we really be seeing the return of 2006/7 Freck?

11 - SCOTT KERR

6

Unspectacular performance from Scott, steady and assured but nothing really noteworthy

12 - DANY N'GUESSAN

6

I don't even know what to say with Dany, it's all been said before.

14 - LENELL JOHN-LEWIS

2

Worst player in a City shirt by quite some way on Saturday. He needs a spell outside of the first team because he hasn't shown anything this season to suggest to deserves to be starting.

16 - DANIEL HONE

7.5

Started a game (finally) and he is showing signs of why he was so popular last season. Excellent defender and one of our star performers.

19 - SHANE CLARKE 

8 - MOTM 

If there is one player who has surprised me in recent games, it's Shane Clarke. He looks a completely different player to last season and has been excellent so far this year. Easily the best player we had on Saturday.

23 - ADRIAN PATULEA

6

Could have scored many times but just not his day.

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Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
Posted by: theimps.tk (IP Logged)
Date: 29/09/2008 18:54

Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe

Re: Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
Posted by: 79imp (IP Logged)
Date: 30/09/2008 21:14

A good read Nathan, but I really find it amazing that you feel so negative after that game. If you had written something similar after the diabolical performance in the Grimsby match, I would agree with far more that you said but we played some excellent football on Saturday, probably the best I have seen since those halycon days at the beginning of 06/07.

I won't be so bold to suggest a definite promotion push, but if we can win the next 3 games (a big if I know), the league table will look very very different, and there is no question that we have a far better squad now than we did under Schofield last year. I believe we played Morecambe at a similar time last season, and also got a 1-1 draw. However, the contrast between those games couldn't be greater. Last season, we had the worst striker ever to play for the club up front, and possibly the worst right-back (although he did score!). What was similar though was the sloppy goal we conceded, and that for me is our main problem this season, and I must say that I have seen nothing so far to suggest that Burch is any better than Marriott. Kovacs looks a bit dodgy to me as well and although I rate Sinclair, his injury proneness is worrying.

As for your ratings Nathan, how you can give N'Guessan a 6 and a slightly barbed comment is beyond me. He has been far more consistent this season, he is probably the most naturally talented player at the club, and he is the only player we have that actually makes me excited when he has the ball. You cannot expect any player to always choose the right option or always beat a defender, but at least we have a player who is prepared to try and clearly has the ability to do it.

I am not by nature a positive or optimistic Imps fan (that would be impossible after 20 years of disappointment), but if we continue to play football like we did on Saturday, we won't be far away.

Re: Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
Posted by: MichiganImp (IP Logged)
Date: 01/10/2008 20:45

I think that Sammy Macilroy out thought Jacko tactically on Saturday and made the right substitutions at the right time.
I've heard it said that Jacko is a good manager but not a good coach, and I'd agree with that. Not sure if Iffy makes up for Jacko's deficiencies. Maybe its an area where City could do some recruiting: no transfer deadlines or windows in coaching staff.

Re: Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
Posted by: Scottishimp (IP Logged)
Date: 01/10/2008 21:00

Decent article Nathan.
Agree with most of the player ratings but wouldnt have given DNG the time of day never mind 6.
He is such a frustrating player. Fantastic when he wants to be but might as well not be on the pitch when he doesnt.
We cant afford to carry a player like that if we are serious about challenging for promotion.
Hone was excellent and i agree that Clarke was MOM. He has improved dramatically since last season.
It's encouraging to see that the Centre of Excellence is producing good quality players and long may it continue.
I think Mid Table Mediocrity is about our level for this season but with the youngsters coming through i think the long term future is bright.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:10:01:21:01:52 by Scottishimp.

Re: Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
Posted by: Helgy (IP Logged)
Date: 02/10/2008 10:15

We had a mate who rarely goes being a Leeds fan but because of the tenner admission went, he thought DNG was a class act.
Agree with the comments Clarke is starting to look a good player, just goes to show from last season people can be very critical on young players.

Re: Reaction to the home draw against Morecambe
Posted by: Nathan Jackson (IP Logged)
Date: 02/10/2008 17:09

See, the thing about Dany is that anyone with one working eye can tell that he has the potential to go on and play well above League Two, eventually potentially playing for a lower-placed Premiership side, but he is just so inconsistent that it's not funny.

One minute he'll be the next player on the pitch and the next he'll losing the ball when there are about 5 players in better positions.

Much like Jeff Hughes, he only seems to play well when he can be bothered.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/morganvandermeyde/SARMY.jpg


http://nathanjackson.livejournal.com

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