Flexibility
I do have a little problem with constantly changing formations; it can lead to uncertainty and points to a lack of direction within a squad, in my opinion. However, yesterday we went to a back four to try to create more, and looked exactly the same. I hear you screaming, ‘that’s a bad thing‘, but is it? Is it really? Okay, we didn’t create much yesterday (two shots on target, compared to their one), but we did present another version of ourselves which could pay dividends over the next two matches. MK Dons had lots of possession; they were the home side, and the emphasis was on them to beat us. We switched things around to suit the available players and perhaps to get more forward, and we looked just as in control in the defensive third as we have all season. When Cambridge or Burton rock up at the Bank, we’re going to be the team in possession; we’re going to have the ball, so more players in attacking areas are going to be a benefit for us. Hopefully, by then, we might have more effective players in those areas as well – strikers the ball sticks to or balance on either flank to ask more questions of the opposition.
Much of the furore on social media is focused on the players not being good enough, but I disagree. I said the same about Garrick, and heard the same about Jamie Robson, but one scored and the other got an assist and Man of the Match for their new club. Dan N’Lundulu impressed on his debut for Bolton, and Liam Cullen scored for Swansea – there are good players on Lincoln’s books right now that are not doing the things they’re capable of. Maybe Robson wasn’t the left-back to play 3-4-3 (I think he was capable, and there’s more to the departure, but there we go). Maybe Garrick was injured and couldn’t do the tracking back MK wanted. That doesn’t mean they’re bad players. By shuffling the deck, switching the approach and looking for new ways to do things, MK could unlock the potential of those players some of you think are ‘rubbish’ but aren’t. I’m thinking Mandroiu central, but in a formation we get more possession. I’m thinking Diamond and Shodipo on the flanks, but with more protection from full backs. I’m thinking the two we have available in midfield, Sorensen and Sanders, but not woefully exposed in the 3-4-3 that they were in recent weeks.
Multiple formations can be an outcome of indecision and a lack of an outright plan, but look at it the other way – it can be a Head Coach trying to arrange his players into the most effective formation possible. The fact he did that, and we retained much of our organisation out of possession, is a real positive.
Window Not Over
Last year’s transfer window was the most important in the club’s history, according to many, and now this year’s is the same. I concur, to a degree, the most important time in a club’s history is always the immediate future you can affect, and only with hindsight can you judge exactly how important an event was. Right now, we need a midfielder to cover Matty Virtue’s injury and a striker to add some depth, but what do we need outside of that? It’s all good rolling out the hyperbole of needing a new squad, but let’s say we do sign a midfielder, one who brings out the best in Sanders rather than the worst. Would you want another to bloat the squad? Let’s say we bring in a striker, and House is fit; what’s the value in adding another, especially if the new formation is 4-4-1-1 with Mandroiu in the ten, but Bishop able to play there? The point is I believe we’re only two deals away from getting back on track – we don’t need defenders, we don’t need full backs (especially not in a four) – maybe another winger would be good, but it won’t be on loan unless Tashan goes back. Besides, we’ve seen 45 minutes of Shodipo after he joined the squad late – I remember Virtue’s first outing (Cambridge away); he looked average. I remember Garrick’s, too, the only decent game he had. Nothing can be gleaned from a first outing, nothing.
The transfer window does need to bring us some joy, but I agree with Mark Kennedy about quality over quantity. I do think we’re light in midfield, and Sanders was really poor yesterday, with awful distribution, which is usually his strong point. We need someone in midfield like Virtue, who adds drive and desire. Here’s a controversial opinion for you to debate – if Virtue hadn’t got injured against Ipswich, we wouldn’t have lost to Charlton, and we could well have won yesterday. That’s how big a loss he is and how important it is to replace him. I said at the beginning of the season, finding a new Liam Bridcutt was the key to our surviving, and I stand by that. Virtue, although not identical, was that player, and now we don’t have it. However, if, between now and February, we find a striker capable of swapping about with Ben House, and a midfielder capable of dictating play a bit more, then the worries of the drop will be eased massively.
Long Way To Go
Yesterday was a slog. I’ve watched the game back, but it took about 20 minutes, because I was fast-forwarding through an awful lot of nothingness. Last season, we lose that type of game 1-0 after a stupid defensive mistake. This season, we draw it 0-0. That’s progress, it might not be pretty progress, but it is progress. MK Dons fans would swap places with us all day long, squad-wise as well as positionally. They’re bloated, and they’re signing players like Leko on permanent deals whilst still laden with Grigg and Eisa’s wages and more across the squad. Remember, they spend more on wages than they bring in and are in a different financial league to us.
Right now, there’s a long way to go, and if drawing 0-0 in a game you never looked in trouble in is a bad sign, then it’s not the worst of bad signs. I remember losing 6-0 to Rotherham; that was a bad sign. If you can’t defend or attack, you’re in trouble, and for a while last season, we couldn’t do either. There’s only been the odd game where I’ve felt we were properly outclassed this season (Burton, Peterborough), and whilst the cutting edge isn’t there, there’s time to find it. We’ll (hopefully) look like a bit of a different side when the window shuts and who knows, we could have three or four more points on the board at that stage. The onus is on Burton and Cambridge to catch us up, and they’ll be hoping to come and take points from us.
Two weeks today, things will be very different. We’ll either be in deeper trouble, and I’ll always admit when things are really bad, or we’ll be wondering quite why we were panicking with a six-point cushion between us and the bottom four. These next two matches are crucial to our season. The next two weeks off the field are also critical to our chances. It’s a big couple of weeks, but let’s reserve the judgement for February 1st, even with the challenges we face, and take the positives where they are, no matter how small they might seem.
Also, please stop talking about Danny and Nicky. I love them both, but we have a Head Coach doing a job at least comparable to last year. Try to talk about who you want as manager when we actually need one, which won’t be any time soon. You’re just making a spectacle of yourself otherwise, Kev.
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