Lincoln City are currently looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Mark Kennedy.
The former Ireland international lasted a little over 16 months at the LNER Stadium and leaves the Imps in midtable, albeit with a run of just two wins in ten matches. Last night, their chief executive, Liam Scully, suggested there was more to the sacking than results, a train of thought echoed by many supporters.
That has started the speculation around who may come next. Early favourites include current Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley, who was heavily linked with the Imps before Mark Kennedy joined, and their former boss Danny Cowley. He’s out of work after leaving Portsmouth and guided the club to their most successful spell ever in his last tenure, winning two titles and the Checkatrade Trophy.
Whoever does come in will inherit a decent squad and a team poised to climb the League One table, and there are bound to be coaches out there eyeing the job eagerly. However, whilst there’s plenty of debate about who will come in, it is also important to underline those that won’t, at least if the fans get their way.
Here are three current managers and coaches that many Lincoln City fans would absolutely not accept in the home dugout.
Steve Evans
Evans and Lincoln City have history, a lot of it. He might be a successful boss in the third tier, doing good things with Stevenage, but there is more chance of Chris Waddle coming out of retirement and playing for England than Steve Evans being appointed manager of Lincoln City.
The feud goes back to his spell as manager of their one-time rivals, Boston United. He accused then-Imps boss John Schofield of being an armchair scout after they signed Dany N’Guessan following his loan spell at Boston.
It has snowballed through the years, with Evans often derided for his touchline antics when visiting Lincoln with Peterborough, Mansfield, and Gillingham.
Mark Cooper
The former Forest Green Rovers boss is not a popular man at Sincil Bank, and whilst appearing on the list of bookmakers picks might put him in the frame, there’s zero chance of him getting the job.
Cooper and Lincoln crossed paths back in the 2016/17 season, as his Forest Green side were pipped to the title by Cowley’s Imps. Cooper’s reaction after a 3-2 Imps win earned him derision, but reports of an altercation with a Lincoln supporter the following season turned him into the pantomime villain.
Plus, he’s not exactly prime real estate right now.
Karl Robinson
Robinson is among the favourites for the job, and on the face of it, you can see why – he’s experienced in the division but still young and hungry. However, a tempestuous fixture against the Imps in September 2020 had fans seething as Robinson’s men were defeated 2-0.
After the game, he criticised the club’s Covid protocols and moaned about several penalty decisions that went against his side. Ever since, he’s been derided by the Imps’ supporters and wouldn’t be a popular pick for head coach.
