City to appear to finally be building on defence!
By Nathan Jackson
June 25 2008
Peter Jackson looks set to do what John Schofield didn't do, strengthen the defence. The Imps are all set to sign Kovacs from Chesterfield, Giddings has come in on trial and Jackson has also revealed that we could have another left back signed up by the end of the current week. It's amazing how things can change so much in the space of 12 months.
To say Lincoln City's defence was a bit rubbish last season. Alan Marriott, Ayden Duffy, Paul Green, Lee Beevers, Nat Brown, Lee Ridley, Hamza Bencharif, Danny Hone, Adie Moses and Gary Croft conceded a shocking 90 goals in all competitons last season, spread over 50 games. There's no getting around it, that is simply not good enough.
We were thrashed on many, many occasions. Conceding four goals against Shrewsbury, Doncaster, MK Dons, Chesterfield (twice), Darlington, Peterborough and Wrexham, also conceding five to Hartlepool and Barnet.
What had made it even more frustrating was that other than Gary Croft, Schofield seemingly had little interest in bringing in new defenders last summer. We had Anthony Tonkin on trial but he rejected us to join Forest Green. Several thrashings later and Schofield was sacked.
Jackson was brought in but our defence still looked a bit dodgy to say the least. However, he's not trying to rectify that situation by doing what Schofield certainly didn't do, bring in players better than those we've already got.
Janos Kovacs is set for talks at the club later today and a deal could easily be sorted by the end of the week. Giddings joins on trial and will be aiming to make a better go of it than the last player to join us after being released by Coventry, Rory May.
However, Jackson isn't stopping there and believes he will have a left back at this club by the end of the week. He's remaining generally tight lipped about who that defender is, but all this talk about bringing in defenders will be music to City fan's ears due to the general incompetence of the backline over the last 18 months.
He has brought Kovacs in at 6.4 he will get all the high balls but will he have speed to turn and chase when the ball goed over the top again.
The only way it has a chance of suceeding is to bring in two ful backs with pace who can add pivotal cover to the defence.
Green as a defender does not have that pace.
So we need still 3-4 more players.
Quote:Southern Imp
The only way it has a chance of suceeding is to bring in two ful backs with pace who can add pivotal cover to the defence.
I present to you Jamie McCombe and Gareth McAuley. Two tall defenders who ran about as fast as Fat Kid to a salad bar, yet both are rated by fans much old than myself (therefore having a longer basis of time to work with) as the best defenders that we've had for years.
Sorry Southern but I'd always go with a 4-4-2 everytime!
UP THE IMPS
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Quote:Southern Imp
All agreed on a new defence but the jury is still out on whether Mazza should have gone. Time will tell replacing him is going to be jackos most important decision. If he brings in a keeper who is prone to mistakes like Ben Smith was then jacko is in for a pilloring I suspect.
Seriously why do you bum mazza so much, he was equally prone to making the odd howler.