Lincoln City Season Player Review (Part Four)

Tayo Edun 6 Appearances, 0 Goals

Edun? Under ‘T’? Blame Soccerbase which is where I copied and pasted the player list from.

I’m surprised Tayo only played six matches if I’m honest. I thought he was excellent on his debut against Blackpool, but after that he struggled a little. He’s a versatile player and that might be his downfall as much as anything. I think about others like him in the past, Matt Bloomer for instance, who could never nail down a single role because he could play anywhere. However, with his academy pedigree and his obvious skill, I do hope for a little more from Tayo.

I like him in midfield, he bombs about and isn’t afraid of a tackle. He reminded me a little of Scott Kerr in that first game, an ‘up and at em’ midfielder with energy and a touch of class. He does need time to settle, not least having left London for Lincoln, but if he gets a run of games next season, which he will, I think he is another who could make us a few quid further down the line.

Harry Toffolo 33 Appearances, 1 Goal

This is a bit like writing about a girlfriend who left you, isn’t it? Toff was one of the finest left backs we have had in recent memory and his departure really stung. I didn’t think he would go, but I suppose Huddersfield were always going to come in for someone, weren’t they? I’m not bitter, that is football, but it does make it harder to write about him here knowing he has gone.

He had a solid season, showing himself to be capable at the back and going forward. I remember away at Rotherham one of our fans giving him abuse for never blocking a cross and for a few weeks after I watched him block more and more crosses. He’s a player still learning who could easily progress to a side like Bournemouth or Burnley in the Premier League later in his career.

Like Tom Pett and Shacks, Toff is a title winner with the club and a player whom helped us financially when he left. He also left a huge, gaping hole in my podcast co-presenters heart which is sad to listen to (over and over and over and over…).

Josh Vickers 37 Appearances

I think had the retained list been without Covid-induced pressure, Josh would still be a Lincoln player. He was the best stopper we had at the club and his save at Rotherham was top quality, earning him a nomination for the save of the season with the FSA. I did see some stick directed towards him as the season progressed and maybe he did fumble the odd shot here and there. The Sunderland game is one that really sticks out, but I’m not one for jumping on players at the time.

If you asked me did we play our best keeper all season, I’d say yes. If you asked me could he play week in, week out for Wimbledon, Tranmere or Accrington, I’d say yes. If you asked me would I have preferred Matt Gilks in goal this season, I would also have said yes.

Josh is a good keeper, one of the very best in League Two but perhaps a little way off being a top ten League One keeper. remember though, he is still young and as he matures I think he’ll get a stab at football in the second tier. He has the size and the shot stopping ability, anything he does lack will come with age.

Tyler Walker 34 Games, 16 Goals

Perhaps we should just give Walker the Player of the Season trophy because without him, we would have been relegated. That is as close to being fact without actually being fact as you can get. He scored goals when we couldn’t. He led the line superbly, he chased and he harried. He is a natural, someone who can put the ball in from any angle, never giving a keeper a moment’s rest. He was an inspired signing by DC, he kept going through the challenging times and his recall hit us hard.

I believe, had he not been recalled, we could have finished as high as 12th thanks to his goals. He is as accomplished a finisher as we have had at the club in my time as a fan and he was worth every penny we paid Nottingham Forest to have him here. I’m not sure he’ll get a chance with them next season but, if he doesn’t, he should be looking for a move to Millwall or maybe even Coventry, challenging himself in the Championship. I believe he has the quality, he just needs the right club. Still, it was a pleasure to see him in a City shirt and that goal against Ipswich Town – simply superb.