Lincoln City have been described as dominant by the Not The Top 20 Podcast.
Ali Maxwell and George Elek have one of the best League One shows out there, and as the season has gone on, they’ve become more aware of how good we are. A few weeks ago, George Elek said he feared we might drop off, but in Ali’s case, he’s always backed us for promotion.
Now, as we sit seven points clear at the top, 18 clear of second place, our true ability has come through, and Ali feels we’re the only good team in the division this season.
“One thing that has kind of peppered or seasoned our chat about League One and the top of the table over the last few weeks has been this idea that no one’s good apart from Lincoln and Cardiff,” said Ali Maxwell on this week’s League One roundup show.
“Now we’re at a point where right now, no one’s good apart from Lincoln City”
This narrative came after our 3-0 win against Rotherham, a game in which we had complete control without ever being at our best. It was our 22nd game unbeaten, a run that has only seen us draw just five matches. We have almost forgotten how to lose games, and as George Elek said, that sort of run would have pundits purring were it from a bigger team.
“We know that Clive Nates has been a brilliant owner for them. We know that Michael Skubala has been an amazing appointment and the faith and the patience they show with him.
“But there’s still an element where it feels like if Cardiff were doing this, for example, or Huddersfield were doing this, we’d be going mad about one of the best League One teams we’ve seen in ages.
“But because it’s Lincoln, you’re like, oh, you know, they’re doing incredibly well to punch above their weight. But it’s more than that.”
What the experts have noticed is something we picked up on in January. I labelled us as ‘relentless’ in our win against Peterborough on New Year’s Day. We were dominant then and we’ve been dominant since, and that is where the success in our recent title push is held.
“They are just a completely dominant League One side who are consistently churning out performances,” added George. “I like to think we flipped that narrative maybe four to six weeks ago.
“I sat here, what, two months ago, three months ago, saying I think they might fall away. I can’t see them maintaining it. But they’ve maintained it with ease. They’ve done more than maintain it. They’ve gone further.”
How much further? 4-0 against Northampton and Blackpool. 4-1 against Plymouth, 3-0 against Rotherham and Bradford, and 3-1 against Stockport, brushing aside everyone, top and bottom, in our quest for the Championship.
“Their games at League One level, there is a quality gap between them and the opposition that normally manifests itself by two or three goals. And that in itself is so dominant.”
We now have a couple of weeks off to rest and recover before Good Friday, an Easter weekend where we might confirm our second-tier return after an absence of 65 years. If we do, it will be nice to shift up to the NTT20 Championship show!
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