⚽ Match Thread vs. Lincoln City 08.08.23 [EFLC R1]

[Proactive not Reactive]

Agree with this. I can’t comment on the Sutton game as I didn’t see it, but there was a painful gulf between the sides last night - we still looked like a non-league side most of the time and escaped with a 2-0 defeat. 70% possession is meaningless if most of it is in your own half.

Someone mentioned us possibly paying the price for poor recruitment this summer, and it does seem a little strange that while we went out and bought a couple of players last summer, we haven’t made similar moves this time - especially when we knew RR was leaving and we were stepping up a league. It has taken a long time to replace Jason Turner (I think the replacement only started this week), and this may have hampered things. Then there are the questions about who is actually doing the recruiting right now. Something just feels a little off, but let’s hope things start to click from Saturday.

I don't think I've ever seen a game where a non- league side have had 70% percent possession ?
Complaining about our tippy tappy is old hat and LW and the players proved the fans wrong last season by continuing to play it including the short corners(which he explained why) 117 goals and 107 points.
Now whether we can play this way in League 2 only time will tell but we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater after two games, at present the players aren't playing anywhere near how they were last season(whether they have believed the hype of the bookies or the so called experts I don't know)
LW tweaked it last night playing with a back 4 and I'm sure he will need plenty of other tweaks in the coming months, but one thing is for sure he will continue to play a possession based brand of football because that is the club's model and the players we have were recruited for that system.
We brought in McGoldrick,Crowley,Randall and Stone aswell as signing Jones and bringing Tipton in on loan and I'm sure if we don't sign anyone else in August we will in January.
I think a lot of people are speculating and adding 2 + 2 = 5 because of the start we have made - some possibly scaremongering.
All we can do is be patient(tough for Notts fans) and get behind LW and the players and it will certainly be required on Saturday with over 3000 noisy Grimsby fans