Reaction to the joke of a defeat at Darlington

By theimps.tk
April 2 2006

I've said all season that City simply aren't good enough and until April Fools Day, no-one believed me until City slumped to an completely embarrasing 4-2 defeat Darlington after one of the worst performances of the season. Despite other results going our way, the playoff dream is in serious danger.

Who else is sick of the players at this club turning up for 5 minutes of every match and thinking that small amount of effort is enough? Today's "performance" was just ridiculous and for a team that is apparantly trying to get a place in the playoffs, we seem to be sure as hell trying to make sure that doesn't happen and even if it does, we won't have to worry about the Imps winning the playoffs because we aren't and never have been at any point this season, good enough to go up. Before you start saying that this is all an over-reaction to a defeat, please take into account that I've been saying this for the entire season.

That long unbeaten run we went on, yes, it was good not to lose for a long time but there's no point in going on an unbeaten run if you draw too many of those games and let's face it, all the teams that we did manage to beat in that run, weren't exactly quality opposition were they. After today's match, all I heard on the coach back was "at least we beat Grimsby 5-0" and my reaction to that was......and, so what, we put ourselves in a great position last Saturday but in true Lincoln City style, we have to make it difficult for ourselves. We need to stop living in the past, yes, we had a great win against our local rivals but that means absolutly sod all anymore.

Anyway, to today's game, anyone would do very well to think of anything half decent that was done by any one of the players today and performances of certain players were an absolutle joke. Marriott for example, he has 6 shots on target against him, 4 of those go in and on half of them, he didn't appear to even make a half decent effort to get to them.

Where oh where have we got this reputation that we are dangerous from set pieces from? Our set peices are a joke unless you consider a successful set piece to be one that goes straight to the first defender.  Here's a little random trivia for you, the last goal that we scored from a set piece, that a defender from the opposite team didn't touch first, was Yeo's goal against Peterborough and before that, the home game against Darlington. That is not the kind of record that deserves recognition of us being "dangerous from set pieces."

You players are always saying that you want to get the club promoted, I wish you'd start practicing watch you preach. The only person worse than that players for putting through false statements is Keith Alexander. Keith, you're always moaning that the players at Sincil Bank aren't good enough, here's a new flash for you Keith, out of the 16 players in the squad today, only 2 (Marriott and Frecklington) weren't brought by you so it's your own damn fault. If you don't think the players are good enough, don't bloody well buy them, it's not rocket science. Just admit it that the majority of your transfers over the past 4 years have failed and I'd be prepared to be a lot that Jamie Sherlock won't make an appearance for the Imps before being released in the summer, yet another example of Keith wasting the club's money before then moaning he doesn't have enough money to spend on wages.

 

Alan Marriott - 2 - He was as good as a fish out of water, all he did was flap around for a while before eventually collapsing on the floor.

Jamie McCombe - 4 - Jamie, if you're going to run towards the line to try and clear a ball, actually try and hook your foot around the ball rather than just aiming you toe straight at it and proding a ball that wasn't going in, into the net.

Nat Brown - 4 - Anonymous

Colin Cryan - 4 - He delivery was poor all day and his "defending" wasn't much better.

Lee Beevers - 6 - He was one of the few bright spots for the Imps but then again, that's not saying much.

Jeff Hughes - 5 - Obviously not match fit and it showed. Played a few quality balls but other than that, was pretty much invisible all afternoon.

Scott Kerr - 4 - The master of punting it 20 metres into the air and hitting the first defender at a set piece, definatly didn't have a good day.

Luke Foster - 5 - Whether it was his back injury that was sustained the other night or whether it just wasn't his day, it was easily one of the less convincing games he's had for the Imps.

Francis Green - 2 - If you're going to run after a ball, don't just fall over when you think the ball's out of your reach.

Jamie Forrester - 6 - Worked hard and got a goal for his efforts but I'd be lying if I said he was anywhere near as good as he was last week.

Marvin Robinson - 7 - He has been a rarity this week, rare in the fact that he's the only player who seemed to give 2 damns about this club and no doubt Keith will drop him for having the gall to score his 3rd goal in 4 games.

Steve Robinson - 6 - Put in a few good balls and his set pieces were a lot better than Kerr's but in open play, he still looks very dodgy.

Gary Birch - 5 - It's hard to impress when your team is already 4-1 down but he put in a few good balls and almost scored himself but

Lee Frecklington - 4 - Did he actually do anything after coming on?

 

"We were unlucky at Carlisle not to win but we haven't unlucky today" nope, we were crap at Carlisle as well Keith. "We were disappointing and it's not the time to have a wobble. We were very poor first half and I had a few words at half time to living outselves up but we gave four soft goals away. What can you say?" I'm sure I could find something to say Keith, as could the other fans who have bothered to turn up to watch these two jokes of "performances" over the past 5 days.

"Darlington were there to be beaten and we just haven't done it. We'll have a look at that tomorrow and see what's wrong. I've told the players that there will be no days off until they get it right. It's as simple as that." given your history of not living up to your promises, does that mean that they all get a holiday in Spain until next Saturday? "We're just outside the playoffs and you've got to come here and get a point at least. Alright, we've got a few injuries and Jeff Hughes was only fit for an hour but they're all excuses. We were just not good enough and I'm not having it." only took you the entire season to realise Keith, better late than never.