The Ugly: Morgan Whittaker
Morgan Whittaker’s Lincoln story began with frustration before he had even signed. We tried to bring him in from Swansea in August 2021, with the player at our training ground ready to complete the move, only for a late change of heart to leave us short. He had already shown his ability for the Swans, scoring against Manchester City in the FA Cup and hitting a League Cup hat-trick against Plymouth, but we had to wait until January to get him.
When he finally arrived, he scored on debut against Oxford United and went on to contribute five goals and an assist in 20 league appearances. That was a useful return in a difficult season, yet he never quite connected with some supporters, with a red card after scoring at Charlton adding to the frustration. He was even booed onto the pitch as a substitute, something I still find uncomfortable when discussing a young player who clearly had ability.
That’s where the ugly comes in for me: the atmosphere surrounding his spell and the sense of an opportunity only partly realised. He arrived as patience with Michael Appleton was wearing thin, and we were looking nervously down the table, hardly ideal conditions for a young attacking player finding his way. Swansea subsequently loaned him to Plymouth, where he flourished before making that move permanent, leaving us to wonder how differently we might remember him had the circumstances at Lincoln been better.
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