Ahead of Saturday's visit to Sincil Bank, we spoke to Lincoln fan and member of the Stacey West Podcast Ben Ward to give us the lowdown on what's gone wrong this season...
Lincoln are 18th in League One, after reaching the play-off final last year. What’s gone wrong for the Imps?
In short - Injuries and lacklustre replacements. I've never known a team have as many injury problems this year as we've had, and I'm fairly sure every single player has spent several weeks out at some point in the season. Tom Hopper, Liam Bridcutt and Joe Walsh have been seriously hampered, which has cut a big chunk of the spine of the side out. We've only played the same starting XI consecutively twice this year, and we went away to Oxford with no fit strikers at all. Coupled with losing Jorge Grant, Tayo Edun and the Championship's golden boy Brennan Johnson, we've struggled to find adequate replacements. It's just been a really tough year.
What are your thoughts on how Michael Appleton is doing?
I think anyone would be lying if they said they were delighted with where we are in the table, but I think it's still clear that Michael is a key part in the long term strategy for the club. He did it at Oxford when he was allowed the time, and I think if we keep the faith, we'll be alright next year. He's under fire from some sections of our support, but we're coming off the back of our most successful spell in history, and we're still in League One, which for us is huge.
John Marquis was a big name signing for you guys. How’s he done?
He made an immediate impact with 3 goals in 3 games, then seemed to quieten down a bit, but now he's got a partner in Tom Hopper, he's sprung back into life. He just gets it. Runs after everything, and finds space where there shouldn't be any. The second goal at Wimbledon typified that, he harried the keeper into a mistake, took it on and set up Ted Bishop for a second goal which sent our fans into overdrive.
What about Chris Maguire, who arrived from Sunderland in the summer and of course came back to bite us earlier this season?
Mags is a player that I would absolutely hate if he was on the opposing side. When he's on his day, he's fantastic, as we all saw in the reverse fixture at the SoL. He has dropped off a bit since then, and has faced a bit of criticism for clashing with fans twice now this season after disappointing defeats. The hope is there that he can find his form again for Saturday, but without Lee Johnson there to fire him up, we'll have to see what happens!
Who’s your danger man? Could anyone hurt us on Saturday?
We're just about getting back to a full strength squad now, and if we can pull out a performance like we did against Sheffield Wednesday, then realistically anyone could have the "danger man" tag. However, Brooke Norton-Cuffy has been sensational since he came in on loan from Arsenal. Switching to three at the back with him playing as a right wingback has given him a ton of freedom, and he's absolutely devastating when given the chance. I was thrilled for the lad when he got his first professional goal against the Owls, and we're all hoping there's a few more to come before the end of the season!
Which Sunderland player worries you the most?
Got to be Ross Stewart, hasn't it? Any team would kill for a goalscorer of his calibre, and he's slotted right in where Wyke left off. There's a few players in the division that really should be playing higher up, and Stewart is one for sure.
What’s your score prediction for the game?
Honestly, I think we'll be lucky to grab a point. Alex Neil's got you guys turning the corner, and I think every fan in the division is watching with baited breath to see if you can make this year the one you finally get back into the Championship. It'll be a really tough game, but I can't see too much past a 2-1 Sunderland win. Stewart and Defoe on the scoresheet, with Marquis getting one back for us.
Where do you think both sides will finish at the end of the season?
Lincoln will finish somewhere around where we are now, I think. We're putting a bit of daylight between us and the bottom 4, and I think we likely need 2 more wins to secure another season of Lg1 football. I know this may sound arrogant, but for as many games as we've lost this season, we've basically beaten ourselves with poor decision making and a lack of cutting edge. That seems to have stopped now. As for Sunderland, if Neil continues to get an upward trend going, I think you'll end up at Wembley, and likely heading into the Championship next season.
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