fbm
Blue tinted optimist⭐
Due to popular request (well, one, anyway) here is the first fbm preview for the forthcoming Blues home fixture against Lincoln. Purely my take on what the game holds, things to be aware of, etc. The usual stuff and, I hope, presented in an unbiased way giving a balanced perspective of both teams.
WE'RE GONNA STUFF THOSE IMPS RIGHT OUT OF SIGHT!
Nah, you'd expect more than that, wouldn't you?
OK, seriously, until now I have said that if there is one game that I think we would win between now and the end of the season it is this one. I don't think Tilly needs a team talk; he just needs to obtain a blown up copy of their manager Keith Alexanders comments after we played them in August (Scriv - can you oblige?) and stick them on the dressing room wall.
For those who don't know, it was something like
"Well, you can obviously see that Southend AREN'T going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season..."
A reminder of that should be enough to motivate our lads to really stuff those words down his throat.
However, what about the monumental effort the players put in on Tuesday? How will it affect the team?
Selection wise, it should be unchanged from Tuesday really. Hunt is still injured and is likely to be out 3-4 weeks, so Jupp has a chance to regain his place. The Jupp/Hunt debate is almost as hard to call as the Flahavan/Griemink one; both players give you different things. The key for me is that, this season, when Hunt has been at right back (20 occasions) we have kept 11 clean sheets - that's 55%. When Jupp has been at right back (23 occasions) we have kept a clean sheet on just 3 occasions, a paltry 13%. Without question Jupp gives us another option going forward, which helps to compensate for Pettefers lack of width. But with the giant Lincoln defence likely to win every aerial battle going, it will be the ball to feet and speed of Gray and Eastwood which can unlock the defence, so Jupp's attacking options are possibly superfluous. It's immaterial anyway - Hunt's injured so Jupp has to play.
Lincolns direct approach means that the midfield will be missed out so Bentley will be less than effective, Maher as the holding player needs to be on top of his game but it is Gower that will be crucial. Will his fitness allow 2 games in a week? If not then our creativity will be gone.
Up front Eastwood and Gray will be a handful for any defence on their day, but will Tuesdays workrate have eaten into their fitness reserves?
If Blues are to get something from this game, Gower and Gray need to be right on top of their game. I see them as the key performers.
As for Lincoln, last Saturday they were turned over at home by Wycombe 3-2, and had conceded 3 goals in the first 39 minutes and were lucky not to give away a penalty as well. Their goals were gifts really - one a keeping error and the other a penalty. So we may be facing a backlash. Matt Bloomer had a nightmare game at centre half according to reports and may be replaced by the lanky Ben Futcher (on the bench last week), who will be a constant threat at set pieces. Their front two of Yeo and Taylor-Fletcher are decent at this level, and their squad has been boosted by todays reported signing of Derek Asamoah from Mansfield, who ran the channels to great effect when the Stags nicked a 1-0 victory at the Hall on December 28th 2004. His effectiveness will come down to whether Lincoln can learn to play to his strengths in one day- if he plays of course.
Players to watch out for - Futcher, Yeo, Taylor-Fletcher and Asamoah.
The fbm prediction -
Blues to dig deep into the stamina reserves and sneak a 2-1 victory, which will prompt disbelief from Keith Alexander who will proclaim they were the better team and should have won as we were in a false position.
WE'RE GONNA STUFF THOSE IMPS RIGHT OUT OF SIGHT!
Nah, you'd expect more than that, wouldn't you?
OK, seriously, until now I have said that if there is one game that I think we would win between now and the end of the season it is this one. I don't think Tilly needs a team talk; he just needs to obtain a blown up copy of their manager Keith Alexanders comments after we played them in August (Scriv - can you oblige?) and stick them on the dressing room wall.
For those who don't know, it was something like
"Well, you can obviously see that Southend AREN'T going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season..."
A reminder of that should be enough to motivate our lads to really stuff those words down his throat.
However, what about the monumental effort the players put in on Tuesday? How will it affect the team?
Selection wise, it should be unchanged from Tuesday really. Hunt is still injured and is likely to be out 3-4 weeks, so Jupp has a chance to regain his place. The Jupp/Hunt debate is almost as hard to call as the Flahavan/Griemink one; both players give you different things. The key for me is that, this season, when Hunt has been at right back (20 occasions) we have kept 11 clean sheets - that's 55%. When Jupp has been at right back (23 occasions) we have kept a clean sheet on just 3 occasions, a paltry 13%. Without question Jupp gives us another option going forward, which helps to compensate for Pettefers lack of width. But with the giant Lincoln defence likely to win every aerial battle going, it will be the ball to feet and speed of Gray and Eastwood which can unlock the defence, so Jupp's attacking options are possibly superfluous. It's immaterial anyway - Hunt's injured so Jupp has to play.
Lincolns direct approach means that the midfield will be missed out so Bentley will be less than effective, Maher as the holding player needs to be on top of his game but it is Gower that will be crucial. Will his fitness allow 2 games in a week? If not then our creativity will be gone.
Up front Eastwood and Gray will be a handful for any defence on their day, but will Tuesdays workrate have eaten into their fitness reserves?
If Blues are to get something from this game, Gower and Gray need to be right on top of their game. I see them as the key performers.
As for Lincoln, last Saturday they were turned over at home by Wycombe 3-2, and had conceded 3 goals in the first 39 minutes and were lucky not to give away a penalty as well. Their goals were gifts really - one a keeping error and the other a penalty. So we may be facing a backlash. Matt Bloomer had a nightmare game at centre half according to reports and may be replaced by the lanky Ben Futcher (on the bench last week), who will be a constant threat at set pieces. Their front two of Yeo and Taylor-Fletcher are decent at this level, and their squad has been boosted by todays reported signing of Derek Asamoah from Mansfield, who ran the channels to great effect when the Stags nicked a 1-0 victory at the Hall on December 28th 2004. His effectiveness will come down to whether Lincoln can learn to play to his strengths in one day- if he plays of course.
Players to watch out for - Futcher, Yeo, Taylor-Fletcher and Asamoah.
The fbm prediction -
Blues to dig deep into the stamina reserves and sneak a 2-1 victory, which will prompt disbelief from Keith Alexander who will proclaim they were the better team and should have won as we were in a false position.
