‘Would Promotion Prompt Outgoings’ – Seven Questions We Missed On The Podcast This Week

Scunny Imp: Why do you think it has taken teams this long to start playing differently against us and letting us have more possession?

I think our unbeaten run has crept up on people. Earlier in the season, teams did not feel the need to change how they played against us. When we lost at Rotherham and Wycombe earlier in the season, teams probably thought they could beat us playing their normal way.

But as the season has gone on and we have not dropped away, teams have started to adapt. Some teams still believe in their own style and do not change, like Cardiff, but others are now sitting off more and playing more direct.

There is also a situational element. Earlier in the season, teams might come to Lincoln looking to win. Let’s look at Stockport, for example. In September, nobody knows who will be up there and who won’t, so they’re more likely to be themselves. Come March, they might think ‘a point at Lincoln’ and be happy, knowing who they have to play and who else has tough fixtures. I think teams might be happier with a point at this stage of the season, sometimes. Some teams are coming looking for a point because of their league position, so they sit off more. That changes the dynamic of the game.

I think one of our strengths is that we can adjust how we play without changing our overall system and philosophy, and that flexibility has helped us. We don’t need to adjust for anyone, because part of our approach is to be flexible against different systems.

Kyle Kennealey: Why is there such a difference between our home record in the final 15 minutes of the first half (14-1 in our favour- our best segment) versus away from home (3-6 against- our worst segment)?

That is an interesting one, and there is not a single clear answer. It probably comes down to game state and approach. At home, if we start quickly and get ahead, it is easier to keep pressing and build momentum before half time. That is why you often see us score more late in the first half at home.

Away from home, if we score early, the game often becomes about soaking up pressure because the home team pushes forward. That can lead to us conceding more in that same period away from home.

Also, a couple of specific games can skew the numbers. The average is 3-6, but two of the six are penalties (Wimbledon and Blackpool), so in open play, we’re talking 3-4. Two were at Luton, so then we’re talking 3-2 to use in those moments, with three games skewing the numbers.

So it is probably more about game situation and how teams approach home and away matches rather than a specific weakness. I see the strength in our home numbers as the outlier here, but then as a rose-tinted spectacle wearer, I would….