Season Preview: Lincoln City out to ruffle feathers once more in League One

After a rousing 2020/21 campaign at Sincil Bank, it very much feels like the forthcoming season will be a question of how Lincoln will perform after The Lord Mayor’s Show in League One last season.

Having blown expectations out of the water, it will be a true test of the club’s collective approach to see if they can build further on that success.

A disappointing 2-1 Playoff final defeat to Blackpool at Wembley could be seen as an unlucky end to a fantastic season. Still, those who had watched Michael Appleton’s young Imps side throughout the campaign will rue an injury-plagued final third that ultimately cost them an automatic promotion place when they were looking well placed at the end of February.

Management

Steadily building a reputation as one of the best coaches outside the Championship, Michael Appleton has almost come full circle in the management career that saw him initially thrust under the microscope at Blackburn Rovers.

Having taken a coaching role at Leicester City, Appleton has exceeded expectations at Lincoln in his first full season and will be hoping to build on the dizzy heights of the previous campaign.

Appleton loves to get his full-backs pressing high up the pitch with a robust but slick passing approach to support the attack.

With his know-how to pick up results and a successful summer’s recruitment, Lincoln may well brush off a ‘flaky’ tag that threatened to derail their season in parts before falling to Blackpool’s sword in the playoff final. Appleton is a dark horse who will happily go under the radar for as long as possible.

Investment

Lincoln have had a challenging summer following the departure of key players throughout the spine of the team. Alex Palmer, TJ Eyoma, Brennan Johnson and Morgan Rogers have all returned to their respective sides, starring on loan.  The loss of Jorge Grant to Peterborough in a cut-price deal was another heavy blow landed.

That said, Lincoln are in a good place off the pitch, attracting further six-figure investment from the US, with soccer legend Landon Donovan now involved in an advisory capacity.

The Imps have brought in goalkeeper Josh Griffiths from West Brom after an impressive spell on loan at Cheltenham in their promotion-winning campaign. Whilst defensively Lincoln still look short of cover, in midfield they have a range of options following the arrivals of Manchester City youngster Lewis Fiorini (loan) and Lasse Sorenson from Stoke City on a free transfer.

Fellow midfielder Ted Bishop joins on a permanent deal from Ipswich Town, having been with the Tractor Boys for the entirety of his professional career.

Chris Maguire has linked up once more with Michael Appleton, joining from Sunderland, and Southampton Academy graduate Daniel N’Lundulu has also arrived to provide greater competition for Tom Hopper upfront.

Hakeeb Adelukan arrives from Bristol City with an excellent reputation to cause problems in League One. He initially caught the eye at Scunthorpe United; Adelukan impressed whilst on loan at Hull City until he was recalled in January.

“I think it’ll be a challenging season, even if you’re moving forward at a slow rate, you’re going backwards this campaign because of the huge spending elsewhere. Much depends on how the new recruits settle and if their potential is reached. If Bishop, Sorensen and Adelakun hit the ground running, and we find a star between Nlundulu and Fiorini, then we can pus towards the top six. I do think it’ll be a big ask though – 7th” – The Stacey West Blog

Challenges

Having lost many key players from last season’s campaign, recruitment on paper looks shrewd. The question will be if Michael Appleton can get his squad gelled quickly to impress some of the big spenders in League One. Scoring goals may well be an issue.

Ones to watch

• Lewis Montsma

The Dutch defender will have a point to prove to Michael Appleton that he can be first choice once more, having fallen out of favour last season after a promising start to his Lincoln career. With an eye for a pass and a goal, Montsma will have to prove that he can do the basics consistently well at the back to gain his manager’s ultimate trust.

• Conor McGrandles

An underrated player in League One and some respects at Lincoln, as Jorge Grant and Brennan Johnson stole last seasons headlines. McGrandles is a box to box midfielder that is instrumental in getting the Imps moving forward from deep with simple but effective ball retention. Intending to push into attacking positions from midfield, it wasn’t a surprise to see him change the game during Lincoln’s playoff victory at Sunderland in the semi-finals.

• Billy Brooks

The diminutive academy graduate looks like a real prospect, having appeared in preseason. Not afraid to get on the ball and spread the play, Brooks has not looked out of place. Looking every inch the type of player Appleton demands from his midfielders, the youngster may get opportunities to impress during the season despite the significant competition.

Prediction

Play-offs. With their tidy looking recruitment and playing an established brand of football under Michael Appleton, I fancy The Imps as an outside chance to sneak into the Play-Offs.

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