It’s why I struggle to write anything coherent about the game because I’m getting drawn into the web of negativity and feeling inclined to respond, hit back and get worked up. I’ve always embraced the swell in crowds and the push its given us going forward, but were these people lashing out all over the place really following the club closely when we signed Craig Hobson? I can’t think they were, I certainly never remembered him getting such abuse as John and he scored far fewer goals both from the spot or from open play.
I;’m also sick of defending John, much the same as other League Two defenders are but that’s something most fans miss. I chatted to a County friend last night who was delighted with the job they did on the big man. ‘We put two on him at all times’ was his response when asked about him. ‘It kept him quiet for most of the game but he is always a danger’. That doesn’t mean a goal danger all the time, something some seem to think is what it is all about, but a man who can keep the play in the final third, a man who can create a goal too. Remember, he’s been involved in more of our goals this season than any other player, yet you’d think he’s actively hindered our progress.
I’m getting to a point where I am beginning to question the motivation of some people in disliking John. I’m not saying everyone who has a negative opinion of him has an underlying issue with him, they don’t. People can dislike a player and back it up with reason. I chatted to James Bride this week, a former DF editor and someone who is not an Akinde fan. He has his reasons why and I respect his right to that opinion, but he doesn’t just go online and write ‘Akinde is shit,’ or something equally as insightful. Some people were criticising him in the fifth minute of yesterday’s game; you tell me that’s purely based on performance and I’ll tell you you’re wrong.
The classic exchange happened for me on one of the internet sites last night and it typified the sort of moronic follower we’ve got right now. if this was you and you’re offended with what I say, I make no apology. In fact, if this was you and you’re reading this, please log out because you’re not welcome on my site.
“Angol to start next game? Akinde is awful and doesn’t deserve the shirt,” responded to be “Angol was shit today.”
Wow. Firstly, John Akinde was not awful. Like the other 11 players, he had a tough afternoon but anyone understanding football properly could see he was marked tighter than most. In that respect, his back yup striker should have been far better and wasn’t. Shay was just as ineffective as John and he didn’t have the constant attention of two players. Why is he not being singled out? At least the first comment had Angol down as a viable alternative, but the second guy claiming Angol was shit needs to take himself off to a darkened room for a while. Lee Angol got five minutes. Five minutes.
We talk about being fans and supporting the club but there’s an element that simply don’t do that. There’s an element that still turn up to shout their abuse and generally get mad at the team they’re supposed to support. The sad thing is, fans are now identifying that element as the new support but that’s not the case. Remember Altrincham in the FA Cup a few years ago? Before Ipswich and Oldham, before 8,000 fans at home, before routinely taking 1,00 away? No? Go back and have a read. The sad, repressed element of our support was as evident then as it is right now.
I’ve now written 1600 words on the state of the response to our result, a draw which might not seem decent right now but could be important at the end of the season. We’re into 60 points, we’ve lost one in 14 and we’re top with a game in hand. Everything is still in our hands and Danny Cowley has not let us down in his two and a half years in charge of the club. Our playing squad has got better every transfer window, our league position has got better every season and we’ve grown into a club to be proud of once more.
My fear is this destructive element within can begin to derail the season. The fans who buy in the signing section only to sit down and try to sample the atmosphere, they’re wrong. The ones who think ‘I’ve paid my money so I’ll call Akinde shit’ are wrong. Those arguing with other Imps fans in the terraces, posting rubbish on social media as the game goes on, are wrong. That’s how it is. We’re top and for 90 minutes fans should be supporting the team, not going there prepared to get angry at a player before he’s kicked a ball.
Danny said in his post match interview he knew John would get stick on the internet for missing his penalty and lo and behold, he did. He couldn’t win either could he? Score it and he only scores penalties, miss it and he’s got nothing to offer (apart from leading the line). Within the club, John Akinde is seen as one of the key reasons we’re top, one of the main players in the current set up. He allows us to play the way we do, his mobility and strength gives us options going forward. It allows us to sit deep as we did in the game against Swindon, it allows us to break at pace as we did away at Exeter. He occupies defenders and when everyone is fit he’ll form a deadly partnership with Danny Rowe. If he stays fit, we go up. If he doesn’t, we might struggle. In my opinion and, I’m led to believe’ the opinion of people within the club as well.
Still, Linda from the burger bar knows better doesn’t she? Or Jack, the year nine with a profile picture of himself with fucking bunny ears and rosy red cheeks. Not Danny Cowley, not Nicky Cowley, two men who have brought unprecedented success to the club in a short space of time, two men who have revolutionised the Mighty Imps. What do they know?
It wasn’t a good penalty. I won’t defend it. John didn’t have a great game, nobody did. Why single him out though? Why make our manager believe the first thing he has to do is damage limitation, not just for John Akinde but also when we sign Lee Angol? How long before the dross, not the honest informed opinion, but the utter dross, drives players away? How long before it drives the managers away?
I’m not saying it’ll happen, but I do ask some ‘fans’ to get some perspective.
It might have been a better article Gary if you had focused more on the game instead of reprobates that criticise AKinde of which is dumb. He is a good player and stats back that up.
But no doubt yesterday we were not only outfought but looked naive because of not nullifying Stead which with county played throughout the whole match. Where was plan b? Mcartan was not a good choice in the system and I am bemused at Danny’s thinking yesterday. First shot at goal after 30 minutes! Relying on set pieces to win you games is statistically sound and may get us promoted but there are other teams in this league that play much better football and I believe will finish above us. It’s not a given at all that we will even finish in the top three. Expectations are clouded at Lincoln this year and you only have to look at the close matches we have had to realise we are not set up to swamp other teams with creative open attacting play and that’s why we are not going to score a bundle of goals this season. AKinde will still get over 20 though as he is up to it at this level.
“Not going to score a bundle of goals this season”- you are talking about the 2nd highest scoring team in the league. Only Bury have scored more than us and NO-ONE has a better goal difference.
Sad isn’t it. Best squad and best striker in years, players like Akinde tend to split opinion and that can be a good thing at times but this has now become ridiculous, the manager coming out expecting an abusive backlash is worrying to say the least and surely will have an adverse effect if and when others come calling. You are right about it always being there though, I well remember endlessly defending Colin Alcide during another rare successful period but that was prior to social media and was undertaken over a pint in the Blue Anchor or similar venue and did not become a hate filled diatribe spread across the world to be seen by all including the players concerned. Do we really think Big John and/or the Cowleys are immune to unjust and vicious criticism and that it will not play a part in future decisions?
Well said Gary! It is one thing having an opinion and expressing it in a civilised way, its another thing doing it with hate, loathing, ignorance and utter disrespect. For those that excuse it as banter, it’s not. Its pathetic and shameful. We should be as intolerant of this as we have been of violence and racism at matches. It’s casting a shadow over a wonderfully successful spell in our club history. For goodness sake let’s give the team the support they deserve. Up the Imps!
I couldn’t agree more. Some of the comments are utterly ridiculous. We aren’t going to play spectacular football every game… And yesterday was walkways going to a tough one with the new faces that County had brought in. There was a sense of a “new beginning” amongst the County faithful – and why not? And they did a great job on us. Sure, the early penalty helped their cause no end. Bruno’s solo effort finally gave us something to cheer, but from that point on, we looked the most likely winners. And yes, on this occasion, John’s penalty was a stinker. Funny how one poor penalty suddenly causes mass amnesia and people forget about all the penalties he HAS scored! Madness. And for goodness sake, give Lee a chance!! He didn’t have much time to prove anything to the doubters but he did show a willingness to get stuck in.
We didn’t lose, we are top, and sometimes we have to grind out results. Just like in the latter stages of us winning the National League a couple of years ago. That’s was painful at times, but when we crossed the line did we care about the “ugly” games? Of course not. We do what needs to be done, and it ain’t always going to be pretty.
Walkways? Always! Fat fingers!
Great post mate … we go again next Sat … it’s time all imps, young, old & ‘new’ all get behind the boys, we have 16 games left (9 at home) to make this a season to remember … all imps aren’t we.
Everything you have said is so right. Last night I was reading such dross that I had to stop reading. I commented on as many people’s views that expressed concern at the JA haters as I could but I couldn’t get out of my mind the conversation at half time I had had with two young boys(13ish) and their grandfather who hadn’t stopped moaning about him through the first half- ‘“he can’t head the ball”, “ he only scores from penalties” etc etc. Unfortunately they cannot OBSERVE what is actually going on- they don’t see the work rate put in, the balls sent in the air which JA has to try to do something with, the lay offs he does make. These so called supporters didn’t sing just did not SUPPORT. I don’t know how we change that attitude. I certainly didn’t enjoy my conversation backing DC and JA which should have been the type of conversation with OPPONENT fans!!
I totally agree Tish, but It’s human nature for some people always to moan, for some reason. I live on Merseyside surrounded by Liverpool fans and even they seem to spend most of their time moaning!!
Gary, I agree. Some of the comments on Twitter from 10pm Thursday have astounded me. So much so, I have blocked them from my life. Match wise, I think we did get our tactics wrong. County have made some very shrewd signings this week and it may get them out of the mire that they are in. It will be close but I think they will do it. Bad start giving the pen away. We didn’t nullify Stead out of the game and his playacting. Shay and Danny in the same team didn’t work. O’Connor had an off day which could be expected I guess. Bozzy got injured, that didn’t help. Probably should have had Pett in there linking play. We missed Harry’s running at their defence. I could go on, but we got a point, nearly 3 and we are still top.
Get a life some people. Top of league; second highest goals; 4th lowest goals against; only 4 defeats in 30 games; highest number of wins; way out in front of 4th team in league.
Then someone says we struggle in close matches. Er ….. we simply don’t lose them – like yesterday.
16 games to go and arguably need 25 points to go up. We average 2 points a game.
Get a life some people!
There are certainly many many ‘online morons’ out there with very little knowledge of football. People talking of ‘points dropped’ when we were never ahead in the game. It was a point gained surely. There is an impossible expectancy that some Lincoln ‘supporters’ have, that we should win every game against any team lower than us in the league (ie. every game). Look at Man City & Liverpool this week- even they sometimes do not win when expected. Remember that we were behind only minutes into the game yesterday – to a very soft penalty (in my opinion!) which changed the game, with County happy to slow things right down in the first half. Everyone has their own opinion, pity that many of those shared online are wrong and unhelpful… in MY opinion!
If you’re encountering negativity, it’s because there is a lot of genuinely appropriate negativity surrounding performance just now. It’s definitely not down to one player, it’s the whole side. Yesterday’s performance was abysmal, bloody disgraceful. Here is the top of the league v the bottom of the league and even though they had an in flux of players they had no time to bed in and yet they made the Imps look less than average which is what they currently are. 2 points from the last six when a championship side would have taken 6. The games up at the moment , remove all the hyperbole, even lowly Notts County have sussed out the Imps. Devoid of ideas going forward, when actually they advance like the Italians in the Second World War I.e backwards! Virtually no movement when throw ins are won . If this continues we’ll be lucky to be in a play off slot. I’m angry , wished I’d saved my money to watch the England rugby team who did perform. 6 points from the next 2 home games is what it will take for me to believe in the target of automatic promotion. The bars been lifted and we are right to have expectations. I expected the Imps to produce a champions performance yesterday but they didn’t show up! The 4000 odd supporters attending were understandably quiet. Over to you Mr Cowley…make us believe again.
Harrow, aren’t you going over the top in your criticism ‘..abysmal, bloody disgraceful’….really?? We drew, look at the table…Mansfield have drawn 13 games.
2 points from 6, not good enough. Haven’t you seen how Mansfield, Bury , Forest Green are creeping up behind us. Yes yesterday was a bloody disgrace ….wake up and smell the coffee!! I want the Imps to win this league in style and send out a message to the leagues above. We have stopped doing this…..
Yeah. We’re at the top of the league and we’re pure shite, Harrow. Go back to supporting Man. City if we’re not good enough for you. Rant over
Read my comments thoroughly and try to understand the English language I am using . I been a LCFC supporter and season ticket holder for many years than you have so my desires are very much for the success of the club!!
I also wished you’d saved your money.
I think unfortunately it is an indication of the society we live in at the moment. Yes everyone has a right to voice an opinion but that doesn’t mean the opinion is valid or should be listened to. Just because someone has watched every Lincoln game and played championship manager doesn’t mean their opinion is as valid as Danny and Nicky’s because they have actually trained to do their job. They have invested years learning how to get the best out of players, spend hours watching videos of the opposition and analysing stats so their opinion is more valid than most. But then I guess we currently live in a country/world where experts aren’t respected or trusted, why would this be any different?
Appreciate Gary your business relies on social media but would totally recommend everyone just stops reading the rubbish posted. I am also be really worried that managers and players are reading it, why on earth would you put yourself through that?! I am a teacher and the last thing I would go on is the “Rate My Teacher” website! The only person who should go on social media from the club is whoever is in charge of customer service to monitor things like the catering, tickets etc to see if anything needs improving (hot pies in the coop would be a start!).
When western civilization ends Facebook, Twitter etc will be something historians will point to as one of the causes (along with Donald Trump I imagine!).
Try to stay off social media for a little while Gary, take your dog for a long walk and watch the DVD from two seasons ago.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend
Totally agree with Gary’s article but it’s a real shame he felt he had to write it and that Danny felt he had to close ranks around J.A.
I think there’s been so much milk and honey since the Cowleys arrived people have forgotten the utter dross that preceded it (or maybe they didn’t attend games then?!)
Also some of the comments on social media reflect how it’s used generally- idiots seem to think they can make outrageous unjustified comments with complete impunity.
The fantastic vocal support for the club has been noted by many in football. Let’s keep it up and drive our team over the line
UTI
It is interesting how many times, when opposition fans are asked in pre-match articles, “which Lincoln player would you most like to have”, the answer is nearly always Akinde.
A very good article Gary, obviously written by some who loves the club. The term supporter should mean just that and there are lots of people attending matches who don’t actually justify that tag. Perhaps the description “destroyer” is more apt for a large number of our so called supporters. The hate and vitriol directed at certain players and managers is despicable. It’s not just on social media it’s in the stands full of supposed supporters……of course they justify it all by suggesting they are entitled to their opinion. I think we all agree a lot of the players did not have their best games yesterday but as a group they are in a fantastic place. I just hope the destroyers don’t torpedoe the season and the football club that the purport to support!
Well all you Akinde fans please read the Echo comments and find accurate assessments of John Akinde because I will not be lambasted for adding mi ne on this webpage!
It’s only opinions Gary. I have an opinion about brain surgery but I don’t think the surgeons at LCH will let me loose on any.
My use of Imps-related online communities has steadily gone down (almost to zero) ever since our football started to improve. The increasing joy at watching LCFC has been matched by an increasing frustration at the entitled attitude and unconstructive banter of SOME fans.
Great article Gary and you were right to give yourself thinking time. People need to be careful what they wish for here. Having watched the Imps for many many years 50+, the positivity and profile of the club has never been higher , we have the best young management team in the business, a board that are supporting the club in a sustainable way but the muppets out there will only end up driving them all away.
Yes we play in fits and starts sometimes, but it is the Cowley method of playing, I for one think we have played far more ‘ football ‘than we did last season. As for big John he is played as a lone striker and sometimes yesterday there was no imp within 25 metres of him when he received it for whatever reason. For information it was his first penalty miss for the imps yesterday , a certain John Stead missed one in front of his own supporters on Boxing Day. The two minute 40 odd second delay cannot of helped especially when it transpired afterwards one of their players had kicked and scuffed up the penalty spot.
So many factors came into play yesterday , loan signings , support for their beleaguered chairman , business end of the season for them etc etc so it was never going to be easy BUT We DID NOT GET BEAT ! We should look at it in a positive way in another two weeks they play the expensively borrowed Forest Reserves, with small crowds, from down the road who by all accounts struggled to beat the second bottom side yesterday – at home , who knows what result that may throw up.
WE need to believe and trust in the Cowleys and I for one would rather have smaller crowds of True supporters than those who go to berate and criticise although I respect other peoples opinions I cannot fathom out just what some people actually want UTMI !
Don’t despair Gary. Have a read of the rubbish written on the other 91 clubs by “supporters”. I’m afraid that my theory of life is that a healthy percentage of people are sadly scumbags. You don’t have to spend time with them of course because you can choose your friends. Social media magnifies the problem. It is just the same percentage for us as there is for any other team. I do, like you, worry that Danny is becoming a bit despondent by it. His social media “likes” today suggest a man in reflective mood.
Well said. How things have changed. When I started watching the Imps my job was to boo the opposition and sing nasty songs about the referee. We have always had players who attract groans for whatever reason but these last few years we’ve seen the emergence of the ‘antifan’ who hates players and hates the way they play and wants to tell the world and his dog all about it. Unfortunately from my point of view this is symptomatic of how our society has become and I guess given the now popular ‘I’ve got a right to an opinion, bugger you’, there is not much hope of change for those who are affected by it. The ‘antifan’ is now amongst us. I confess I never would have dreamt that people would have to defend their team from the bile of a fellow ‘fan’.
I agree with what Kerry says above that social media provides a right to deliver in my words personalised bile without consequence. Stupid and thoughtless talk has a forum where it is encouraged by being given a space and a ‘right’. And this I believe has given people the confidence to demonstrate their antifan persona in public away from the safe surrounding of their keyboard and glass screen.
However putting this in perspective it is worth remembering that the antifan to most people is simply stupid and stupidity doesn’t deserve too much attention. It’s like a dog barking. It’s the noise some people make and only interesting to others who make the same noise. The vast majority of people don’t write on Imps related social media. The vast majority cheer the boys on. The vast majority of Imps fans appreciate Big John and Lee. The vast majority can surely put up with a few barking dogs. I am sure the managers share this view and discourage their players taking career advice from the barking of the antifan.
In the old days i’d sit at a game with Dad and smile or laugh at comments made. They have always been around. These days, one such idiotic comment will receive 10’s or 100’s of replies – most against. Are we the ones to blame? Giving them more air time and relevance? Making one daft ill informed comment go viral and drown out the sensible pragmatic football view? I am convinced the numbers of people are tiny, but their voice is massive as we all bite. Then we get Danny talking about it, then a blog, then we all comment. Your words Gary are spot on and backed up by 98% of us I do not doubt
Another spot on article Gary, I am sorry you had to write it to be honest. The so called fans who rip into Akinde should be feckin ashamed of themselves, we put in a fair performance and got a point. We’re still top! Can’t those wankers see that! Makes me very angry to see our “supporters” criticize our boys on social media for no valid reason. We WILL be promoted and play League 1 footy next season, focus on that. Up the Imps!
Gary
Fully behind your comments
This Akinde thing is getting out of hand it seems like a malaise going through the fan base where everyone you speak to has an issue with John
Yesterday he was marked by at least two players on restarts and is pretty much always outnumbered during games – he’s makes mistakes who doesn’t ?
Personally I’ve left the banter sites
Sick and tired of keyboard warriors offering nothing more than vitriol and abuse which falls way beyond any reasonable constructive criticism and has become sadly very personal in some cases.
I am sure Danny and the players fully understand the vast majority of us are right behind all the players and the club
I hope but doubt that this negativity and sometimes unreasonable expectation can be quelled and some realism of where we are and what we have achieved because it is truly amazing
Amazing to hear all the negative comments. I wonder what the fans would do in the days of old when we were bottom of div 4 and you relied on votes from other clubs to stay in the league. Social media would have gone in overload. I have been watching for over 60yrs and the last three have been beyond anything I thought could happen. Enjoy the ride we have players of real quality compared with the dross we use to have. Some people will always moan, even if players have a bad game at least they are all putting in the effort. Gary keep up the good work you always manage to come out with right words.
I am aghast at Harrow’s comments. Negativity? We’re top of L2 having been mid-table conference at best only 3 years ago.
Maybe you don’t remember how bad we were under Tilson, Holdsworth etc – maybe you weren’t there?!
City haven’t been at their best since losing at Crewe but that poor spell has still brought 13 points from 7 games.
If you want guaranteed good performance and wins most weeks (though in my view that’s what we’ve had under the Cowleys) then I’d suggest you go and support one of the PL fat cats. In the lower leagues there is inevitably more inconsistency as squads aren’t assembled by spending absolute fortunes.
You need to stop sitting on the fence and be prepared to critisise either the club or the Cowleys from time to time. They’re profession football managers and accept that fans are always going to have an opinion that might not match theirs and may be vocal about it, it goes with job. Having read a lot of your articles, some good, some not so good (in my opinion) I’m left frustrated a lot of the time due to your inability to say anything that might be controversial. Your quite happy to have a go at other supporters or other clubs (eg FGR) but I can’t ever remember a negative comment towards the Cowleys from yourself. Personally I think they are doing a great job but I also don’t agree with every decision/tactic they employ, eg it drives me mad that when defending a corner we never, and I mean never leave a player up the field. In my opinion Akinde is proving to be a marmite player and although I have seen him play well on occasion it just doesn’t happen enough of the time. We are 30 games into the season and I don’t see him getting any better. if it wasn’t for the penalties then his goal return is poor to say the least. I think some of his problems actually come down to the style of football we play not suiting his game but what I don’t see is him trying to change certain aspects of his game to match our style. He should look at yesterday’s game and see the performance John Stead put in for County. a striker who is on his toes rather than his heels.
So in conclusion please feel you can criticise the club or management when warranted, it will make your articles more rounded and give you more credibility.
Hello Rick, thanks for the feedback.
I’m not sure what you want me to criticise from Saturday that I haven’t already? I’ve said we didn’t play well, not for the first time this season either. I was happy to be critical post Cambridge, Crewe and Port Vale at home as well as voicing my concerns about the Everton furore prior to the game.
Rick. I think you need to go back to Gary’s articles prior to 2017 for more of what you are after. Personally I think that Gary is balanced, but it is hard to find things to get really upset about in the last few seasons. Not liking Akinde very much in spite of the success of the team (which he contributes to) is like complaining to your Miss World wife (after years of dating ugly women) that her knickers are a bit too frilly
What’s really sad Gary is that you feel that you have to write this at all. That’s no criticism of you, it’s a criticism of the idiotic and moronic comments made at the game and subsequently on various social media platforms, in particular about John Akinde. I don’t often agree with your interpretation of games and performances of the team and individual players, but that’s the beauty of the game of football – it’s all about opinion. I do however agree wholeheartedly with everything you have put here. For some reason John Akinde has become a scapegoat and this is just inexplicable and I for one just don’t get it. If this goes on he will soon be the reason why the queue for the toilet in the Coop at half time is so long, and also to blame for the problems with Eventbrite. Sounds ridiculous? Absolutely…….. but when you read some of the ill-informed comments about him elsewhere you wonder where or when it’s going to stop.
Did John Akinde have a good game yesterday? No, he had one of his poorest games for a while. But he wasn’t alone, every player was below what Danny would call their usual levels. It was a collective off day against a rejuvenated, if still poor side. However he has been great in recent games and let’s not forget he has been involved in more Lincoln City goals this season than any other player.
Its also worth pointing out this is the same Lincoln City who are top of the league, the same Lincoln City who have won more games than anyone else and lost less games than all but one other team. This is the same Lincoln City who are the second highest goalscorers in the league and a Lincoln City who are currently 9 points clear of 4th place. Its the same Lincoln City that have one of the brightest young managers in English football and one of the best squads in living memory.
Its tme for all the moaners, whingers and doubters to take a step back, look at the league table and get a healthy dose of perspective.
Yes it was an off day for the whole lot in many ways, but it still felt a damn sight better than the sinking feeling of hopelessness you had after 90 mins in some seasons past. But under DC we didn’t collapse,and we still showed there was always hope.
All the negativity around a winning team can not help as the season enters the run in. I hope the moaners remember the times on a Tuesday night or Saturday afternoons before the Cowleys when you had reason to be unhappy.
Totally agree with redimp73 and also with the comment that Harrow should go and support Man City with his attitude!
Have people forgotten how crap we were prior to the Cowleys?
Maybe Harrow was supporting Man City then?
The Cowleys have transformed the club on and off the pitch in under 3 years – don’t focus on one below par performance look at the bigger picture.
Yes look at the bigger picture which you are not doing , . Don’t know if you were at the game yesterday. It was abysmal.LCFC have been losers for too long. You can’t condone that. The reason 9000 regularly turn up is because of success . No I’m not a Man City fan , im very much a LCFC supporter and probably for many years more than you so when I criticise them it’s because I want them to win , to send out the ominous message to the higher leagues to watch out we are coming . But that will not happen if they continue to perform as they have in the last 2 games. That’s 2 points gained, 4 points dropped unnecessarily . Pity you don’t want the same success for the club!,,,
The last two games? So that includes the enthralling 3-3 draw at Bury when we almost nicked a victory against a team second only to us in the league? Who had won their previous six league home games, scoring 19 goals and conceding six in the process? Is that the game you’re talking about?
You really need to have a chat with yourself, Harrow.
?? . Akinde didn’t just have 2 sticking to him, at times he drew 3, do people not realise how much space this creates for others to take advantage of? Yet it all down on him. Twice as many goals as any other player. Matt Green last year top goal scorer, worked his socks off, covered the field as DC clearly wanted him to but still people were moaning. And got to feel sorry for Lee, coming back to a club and receiving the ‘welcome’ he did. I bet DC is concerned, as how can he convince players to come with these reactions to players doing what their manager wants?
Good Article Gary but so sad that you have to come to writing it at all, 58 hours later.
Its perspective time here , I for one am sick of the Akinde doubters he is just part of a very special moment in the Imps history at this moment in time. Yes sometimes he is isolated, yesterday there were times when a red and white shirt were not within 25 yards of him – is that is fault! He is entitled to an off game occasionally but he was unplayable at Exeter earlier in the season.
More perspective needed a certain John Stead missed a penalty on Boxing Day in front of his home fans and yesterday it emerged that a Notts player scuffed up the spot prior to JA taking his penalty.
County were always going to play above their recent levels due to the window signings they had made but it could work in our favour when they play the overpaid loanee Notts Forest Reserve side in a couple of weeks.
I for one am proud to be an Imp with the best young management team in the lower leagues, a board that backs them under a sustainable business model – Income and Expenditure not just chucking money at it at all costs. Onwards and Upwards but whilst people are entitled to their opinion we are there to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE
So called Fans need to be careful what they say and wish for as they could drive the Cowleys away where the heck would we be then.
Oh Ive just had a look at the Football league paper , We are still top with a game in hand.
Wow, this one has got a bit lively…
As I said earlier, County are fighting for their lives and they have gone for broke with their January signings. County were crap when they came to the Bank, but they were helluva better yesterday. We were a tad off the mark yesterday, but not awful. Photos tell the story and JK was constantly surrounded by County players. Lets move on to Northampton and Stevenage. WE WILL DO THIS BOYS AND GIRLS!! By the way, I have had a pretty close affinity for Man City since the sixties :), but my first Imps match was in 1963 #ImpsAsOne
I find it incredible that professional footballers are influenced by what they read on social media. Surely clubs are educating players to understand that the views on these sites are just “piss in the wind” comments. If they do let it get to them then surely they are smart enough to just stop looking.
As an Imps fan since 1955 but now estranged in NZ, I’m utterly baffled by the griping on social media, particularly the hateful and spiteful insults. They have no place in our club.
The moaners should have lived through three re-election campaigns in 4 years like I did. That’s the sort of background that makes you cherish every day under the Cowleys. They have transformed this club and I’d back their judgement over the keyboard warriors any day of the week
Unfortunately we now live in an entitled society where some people want instant success and no hiccups.
Dear Harrow I’m really pleased you want success for LCFC as we all do. I’d suggest the best way to do that is not to overreact to one indifferent performance but to accept that our form will dip at times and when that happens we need MORE support from the fans – that is true support!
I want promotion and just want to get over the line – forget this ‘message ‘ you want to send to other clubs.
Btw I’ve supported the imps since the early 70’s and remained a season ticket holder during the NL years so I think I’ve earned my right to express an opinion!
Wow… got a bit heated in here. Truth is we are a team that’s set up primarily not to get beat! We have lost just 4 all season. Many games this season we have created little but still managed to win. The flare is generally down left.(Andrade). No flare down right with Anderson who bombs forward stops, passes back to Eardley who crosses into Centre to Centre Forward who cant jump. Offensively it’s all very predictable. It’s results that matter however and as long as we continue to steadily accumulate points we will be promoted.