The words ‘fairy tale’ don’t get bandied about much in football. Jamie Vardy’s rise to prominence and Leicester’s title win was a fairy tale.
Forest Green’s rise from the non-league was labelled as such, albeit a fairy tale funded as heavily as a League One promotion chaser. However, Lincoln City’s last three years could have been written by Hans Christian Andersen himself.
In 2015 the club were on the brink of severe trouble. Five seasons festering in the National League saw crowds dwindle and committed owner Bob Dorrian had done his best to steer the beaten and battered club through the gloom. He was struggling, desperately, with the Coop bank looking to call time on their overdraft. Manager Chris Moyses was working for free and the club were looking at yet another season that ended in February. That was a step up from two which ended in April with late survival in 2012 and 2013.
December 2015 saw Clive Nates invest in the club, a South African businessman with money, connections and a vision. Within five months he’d tempted Danny Cowley away from Braintree to manage at Sincil Bank. Twelve months later they bounced back into the Football League, taking in an FA Cup Quarter Final along the way. A first-ever Wembley appearance, and win, came next along with a play-off spot. Last season they lifted their first Football league title since 1976. That’s a fairy tale right there.
Each time the Imps have been an underdog, fighting bravely against the forces around them. When they won the National League they did so by pipping big-spending Forest Green to the title, as well as Tranmere who also had a good budget. Their EFL Trophy win came against Shrewsbury, at the time fighting for promotion to the Championship. They appeared in the play-offs with much of their National League infrastructure needing replacing and played heavily on that ‘little non-league club’ element as they pushed up the table.
Even last season they held off more-fancied, better-funded sides such as Mansfield and MK Dons and only looked fallible when they were clear favourites. That is why this season Danny Cowley is going to have to dampen down expectation, not just amongst his own fans, but the football world in general. His side are sixth favourites for promotion with Sky Bet, ahead of play-off semi-finalists Doncaster as well as well-funded sides such as Oxford and Blackpool.
Very little has changed for the Imps over the summer. their retained list saw only keeper Matt Gilks leave the club, having joined on a short-term contract with regular stopper Josh Vickers injured. All of their senior professionals remain in place and even the threatened sale of Harry Anderson and Bruno Andrade hasn’t surfaced. The vultures haven’t circled, the players haven’t sought moves and the squad is largely untouched.
One aspect of their play last season was an inability to break down teams who wanted a draw. Cheltenham, Cambridge, Carlisle, Northampton, Stevenage, Exeter and Macclesfield all went to Sincil Bank wanting a point and got one when the champions should have been picking them apart. Instead, they huffed and puffed at a defensive wall that they had neither the guile no flair to break down.
What they did have was fight, character and determination. Their away record was on a par with their home record and that was one of the main reasons they were able to draw so many games at home, covering with good results away. On their travels they soaked up pressure like a sponge, attacking on the break with menace and pace. Smash and grab raids against MK Dons, Forest Green and Exeter City were all impressive, defending stoically and moving forward with ease.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom at home, Notts County and Swindon were despatched with ease, but they still needed an input of attacking intent for the new season.
They’ve secured three players thus far this summer, all three offering something different to the current squad. Joe Morrell arrives on loan from Bristol City, he’s a schemer who likes to pull strings from the centre of midfield. He might be the positional successor to club captain Lee Frecklington who has struggled all summer with injuries.
They’ve also brought in Jorge Grant and Jack Payne, two players who offer exactly the sort of dimension the club didn’t have. Payne is proven at this level, he bagged goals and assists in loan spells with Oxford, Blackburn and Bradford. He’ll likely play in the hole behind burly striker John Akinde, profiting from the big man’s presence.
As for Grant, he’s arrived on a permanent deal from Nottingham Forest. Twelve months ago he was hot property, signing for Luton Town on loan after tearing up League Two with Notts County. He played a part in their early season form but struggled to impress after New Year at Mansfield Town. He’s one Imps’ fans have been delighted to see join the club, having been on the receiving end of his craft in a 4-1 mauling at Meadow Lane back in late 2017.
That’s the extent of their transfer business so far. They’ll still add to their squad, a defender with the capability of covering right back is needed, that’s if the rumoured capture of former Southend man Ben Coker is completed to cover Harry Toffolo on the left. Fans will want to see another centre forward too, currently only John Akinde and Matt Rhead can be counted as out and out strikers in the squad. Rhead, a man mountain, will be used sparingly as he approaches hi mid-thirties, but he’s an effective weapon in the Adebayo Akinfenwa mould.
Akinde divided opinion last season, finishing leading scorer but not making double figures from open play, instead topping up his total with penalties. His presence suited them away from home, he allowed a quick counter attack as they were able to play into his feet as well as quickly move forward aerially. It’s led the Imps to be labelled direct, but there is more to their game than that. The signings of Grant, Morrell and Payne will demand it.
They’ll be largely untouched at the back, with a defence brimming with confidence and experience. Jason Shackell rolled back the years with an outstanding campaign alongside Michael Bostwick at the back. Bostwick was their Player of the Year, a fan favourite of few words and a ferocious tackle. Neal Eardley is another player with experience, some of it in the Premier League, who has enjoyed a resurgence under Danny Cowley.
There is hope for two young players as well, Ellis Chapman and Jordan Adebayo-Smith. The former was around the first team at the beginning of last season but ended up on loan with Chesterfield in the National League. He impressed there and is likely to be knocking on the door this season. Striker Adebayo-Smith is a first-year professional having signed a deal this summer and he’s been amongst the goals already in pre-season.
There is an expectation amongst fans of a midtable finish, the bookies believes they’ll be challenging for the top six and perhaps inside the club ‘establishing’ is the order of the day. Manager Danny Cowley won’t consolidate, he sees that as settling for second best, but with big clubs to face, huge budgets to contend with and uncharted territory for him to negotiate as a manager, he might want to play the underdog card a little more this season.
One final point; expect them to take the EFL Trophy seriously. Part of Cowley’s motivational approach is to keep his side competitive with something to fight for; it would go against his entire ethos to have to play dead rubber matches from March onwards. To drive competition for places in the squad and keep the fans happy, he’ll want a cup run of some sort and the EFL Trophy will provide that possible outlet.
