Match Day 7
Bristol City Away.
A long journey down to Bristol and at the helm will be Michael Skubala, this will be the first time we play the man who guided us to the Championship and left for Bristol City. They are always a tough test at home, but with how tight things are early on in the Championship, every away point is vital. We know what to expect from a trip to Bristol: a loud home crowd, plenty of physical battles, and a side that will test our defensive discipline right from the opening whistle. The last time we played Bristol City away was 1960, ironically enough that was in the Championship and we were beaten 1-0, Bristol were ultimately relegated at the conclusion of the 1959/1960 season, I dont think that will be the case for this fixture.
Lincoln’s XI
I am unfortunately working the 2pm - 10pm shift so this will not be the actual line up it will be a predicted line up; I imagine we will stick with our trusted 5-2-3 setup.
Wickens continues in goal. He has been a reliable presence between the sticks, a consistent goalkeeper and we want to relieve pressure and set the wing backs away.
Reach and Coubis will start as the wing backs once again. Coubis has been brilliant, offering an attacking threat out wide, whipping in quality crosses, while Reach gives us experience, solid positioning, and that dangerous dead-ball delivery from freekicks.
The back three will be Oyegoke, Bradley, and Elerewe. This unit has formed a really solid defensive spine. Bradley brings that crucial leadership at the heart of the defense, while Elerewe and Oyegoke provide the physicality needed to deal with long balls into the box and they will be a problem from set pieces. Unfortunately Skubala will know what Bradley and Elerewe are capable of and will look to counter them and exploit there weaknesses.
In midfield, McGrandles and I would personally give Varfolomeev a chance as when he came off the bench he looked good against Preston. They dictate the tempo, protect the backline, and keep the ball moving smoothly into the wide areas. Bayliss also gives us great set-piece quality, so any corner or indirect freekick will be a real chance to test their keeper.
Up front, Hackett will likely take the left wing, with Street or House on the right, and the other leading the line as the single striker. House brings that relentless pressing and work rate that disrupts opposition center-backs, while Street's link-up play continues to improve. Hackett has the quality to beat his man and turn a game on its head, so hopefully today is one of his sharp days down the flank. Another 3 players that Skubala will know inside out and look to counter so don't be surprised to see Ladeforged starting instead of Street/House
The Substitutions
Gauci, Towler, Ladefoged/Street/House, Jefferies, Olaofe, Bayliss, Konak, Ogbene, Draper
Analysis
This is going to be a game of management and patience. Bristol City like to push forward early at Ashton Gate, so the first 20 minutes will be all about weathering the storm, staying compact in our 5-2-3, and letting Bradley organize the backline.
Once the game settles, our main threat will come through the wing-backs. If Coubis and Reach can get forward into space and supply early balls into the box for the front three, we will cause them real problems. We also have to use our aerial strength on set pieces—with Bradley, Elerewe, and our physical forward line, a Varfolomeev delivery could easily be the difference maker today. If we need extra legs or a spark late on, having Draper and Bayliss to come off the bench gives us great options to alter the dynamic and Olaofe could make an appearance up top with Ladeforge just because Skubala wont too much detail about these 2 players, also Ogbene looks a very good treat down the wings and reminds me a lot of how Hackett players by taking players on.
Prediction
Bistol got beat 4-1 by Southampton, it was away from home but we managed to only let 1 goal in against Southampton and we also went down fighting and actually looked a better team towards the end. This might have taken the wheels off 3 match winning streak so lets hope there heads have dropped but away matches at Ashton Gate are never easy, and Bristol City will press us hard to keep all three points at home. However, our defensive foundation is solid, and we have enough quality on the break and from set pieces to snatch a goal.
I’m predicting a hard-fought 1-1 draw. I expect us to grab a goal mid-way through the second half via a set-piece header, hopefully another Draper header, before digging in deep during the ending of the match. Expect Bayliss and Draper/Ladefoged to come on around the 60-65 minute mark to refresh the press, followed by Jefferies and Draper/Ladeforged later on to help seal the point and maybe steal a victory, I would expect either Ogbene or Olafe to be introduced, possibly at half time or maybe 10 minutes into the second half, just to throw Skubala’s game plan off.
Another massive test on the road—let's make some noise in the away end and bring a point back to Sincil Bank!
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