Keith's finally had enough

By Nathan Jackson
January 10 2005

Keith has joined many Imps fans in being incredibly unimpressed with recent performances and has threatened that chances are going to happen for Saturday's visit of Bristol Rovers.

After City's inept performance against Kidderminster over the weekend which saw us fall asleep after we scored in the 6th minute, Keith has promised to ring in the changes. This is good news because it means that we won't have to put up with corners constantly being caught by the keeper or hitting the first defender. One player likely to benefit is Michael Blackwood who returned from a 4 months as a late substitute for Simon Yeo who himself had replaced Kevin Sandwith. Speaking to the Echo, Ketih said

"Apart from goalkeeper Alan Marriott, I would struggle to find anybody who played anything like at Kidderminster,"

"I was very disappointed with our performance and I've told the players, in no uncertain terms, it was totally unacceptable. In fact, I'm as disappointed by Saturday's result as I have been by any since I came to the club two years ago.

"We've come a long way in a short space of time, but judging by performances like that, things have got to change. Our passing was poor, our balls into the right areas were poor and our closing down was poor. "We've got a difficult game coming up with Bristol Rovers on Saturday and quite a few of these players will have no complaints if I don't pick them. "We have to get one or two people back and if Peter Gain and Gareth McAuley are fit enough they will give me an option."

City have a habit of losing to teams down the bottom, in 2002/3, the Imps lost 2-0 at Exeter, Swansea and Boston, all of whom struggled against relegation that season. Last season was better against the bottom teams as the Imps did the double over both relegated teams but struggled against pretty much everyone else picking up disappointing draws against struggling Scunny, Rochdale, Cheltenham, Macclesfield and Kidderminster.

This season has seen very few good performances and the Imps have already lost to a few of the teams struggling at the wrong end of the table including 2-1 defeats to Kidderminster and Notts County as well as a 3-1 home defeat by free falling Rushden.

Saturday sees the visit of Bristol Rovers who haven't won away since the 3rd weekend of the season and the Imps often struggle against sides managed by Ian Atkins. However, good news for the Imps is the strong possibility of a return to fitness of Peter Gain and McAuley with the latter set to feature in the reserve's game at York in midweek.

"We've got a difficult game coming up with Bristol Rovers on Saturday and quite a few of these players will have no complaints if I don't pick them.

"We have to get one or two people back and if Peter Gain and Gareth McAuley are fit enough they will give me an option.

"We have to perform against Bristol Rovers - it's as simple as that."