Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has been speaking to the press ahead of our visit this weekend, and he was full of praise for us.
City travel to Lancashire looking for a first win on Bolton soil since 1984, with last year’s trip the closest we’ve come. Leading 1-0 from an early Freddie Draper goal, it took an injury-time own goal from Tom Hamer to give them a point. In the return game, we should have been 3-0 up when Sam Dalby finally levelled Jack Moylan’s opener.
Schumacher, who has worked with Chris Cohen at Stoke City, was full of praise for the Imps ahead of the game
“Incredibly difficult opposition, the best team in our league last year by a mile,” he said.
“They have had two really tough games, certainly away from home in the first one against Middlesbrough. They beat Derby County away in the cup, then they pushed Middlesbrough all the way and were unfortunate to lose that one really.
“Portsmouth last week, they will be disappointed with their first home game but that can happen at this level. But they bounced back in midweek with a really good win at Blackpool, so we know the test that they pose. We know what their strengths are, how strong, physical and what a good team they are, and what good players they have got at the top end of the pitch, and we know that we are in for a tough day.”
“They fully deserved to win the league. Like I said, they were superb last year, really difficult to play against, real quality all over the pitch, and finished top of the league for a reason. I think they’ve strengthened over the summer, I think they’ve got better players that make their squad stronger. I know they’ve lost one as well, it was one of their better players in Moylan, but they’ll be competing every week like we’re tying to, I’m sure, in the Championship.”
Schumacher’s side have leveraged momentum from their play-off win to grab four points from their opening fixtures, beating Preston and drawing 0-0 with QPR. They’re back at a level that feels quite natural for them, and will pose a significant challenge for City.
“I think when you’ve had good success with a group, you try and use that momentum and take it into the following season,” Schumacher added. “Lincoln were absolutely outstanding last year, and Chris and Tom were a huge part of that – their organisation, their day-to-day work, the detail that they would have gone into last season to prepare their team to go on that run and deservedly win the league, was an incredible achievement.
“I know with Michael going to Bristol City there was a bit of disruption, but I’m guessing inside the camp things don’t feel too different. They’ll come here fully motivated, they haven’t managed to get a point yet on the board in the Championship. Although they’ve had good performances, they haven’t managed to get a point on the board, and I’m sure they’ll come here with a gameplan to try and rectify that, which obviously we’ll be aware of.”
Bolton under Ian Evatt had a certain brusque style which is not unlike our own, and Schumacher’s side also has principles that perhaps differ slightly, but that have also brought success. The former Plymouth Argyle boss knows we won’t stray too far from what made us a success.
“I think you’ve got your principles, us and Lincoln, you’ve got your key ideas of how you want your team to play, whatever style it is, you’ve got your idea. You have to be adaptable at this level because if you’re on top in games, the coaches you’re up against or the teams you’re playing against have the ability to change and adapt, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re ready to do the same if they’re on top.
“Lincoln won’t come too far away from what they were all about; they conceded the fewest goals in the league last year, and have really good forward players, and get the balls into areas that are dangerous and difficult for teams to defend. We do it in a slightly different style, but I think we had the second-highest xG in the league so we try and create chances in a different way. It’ll be a good test, a clash of styles, a different approach from both sets of teams, but both teams will be equally as motivated to try and win it.”
It’s certainly a clash that will feel familiar, with the two sides having met 12 times in the last six years. Our trip there in 2020 fell foul of Covid, and over those six years, only two Imps have scored at the Toughsheet: Cohen Bramall and Freddie Draper.
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