Well, I suppose that this has to be classed as a dip in form, although, to hear some, you would think there was some kind of major crisis on at the moment. There isn’t, but three points would be very welcome tomorrow night, with the game being sandwiched between away games at two of the form sides in the Division, Hartlepool and Stockport.

Not that I’ve ever liked Friday night football very much (not that it’s happened too often over the years). To me, like many supporters, the game is all about 3.00 pm on a Saturday afternoon, but, let’s face it, the game is no longer run for the benefit of the supporters, but for the TV companies, especially Sky. Never mind, let’s take the money and run!

There was a time when, having said that I thought he’d never make a footballer while he had a hole in his backside, I never thought I’d hear myself saying this, but Richard Money must be desperately hoping for the return of Ian Roper. The big defender has turned into one of our very best players over recent seasons and the defence has been looking fragile in his absence, whether it is the Dann/Gerrard or Dann/Westwood partnership.

The other question is the perennial one of the midfield. It seems to be certain now that Money’s preferred option is always going to be the solid central midfield, with the creativity coming from the wings. The downside of that is the need to always have two wide men in good form. It is interesting, therefore, that all three of his possible right wingers (Wright, Wrack and Bedeau) played for the reserves in the week (Bedeau scoring) and that all three were withdrawn early on in the 2 – 2 draw with Leeds. The other candidate for wide right, Geordie Lyall, also made an appearance in that game, while Demontagnac played all 90 minutes, as he vies with Fox for the starting role on the left.

All the options make the starting line up almost impossible to predict, so there’s now way I’m going to try!

As for Lincoln, they will be without leading scorer and former Saddlers loanee Jamie Forrester, scorer of 16 League goals so far this season, following his sending off at Notts County last week. Mind you, his record doesn’t look quite so good when you realise that 10 of those 16 goals came in just three games, against Mansfield (4), Barnet (3) and Rochdale (3). Perhaps more of a threat is Mark Stallard, with 13 in the League, all much more evenly spread out.

Predictions?

I’m not really too sure what Lincoln’s mind set for this game is. Captain Paul Morgan was quoted in the Press as saying, on the subject of the Championship:-

“Defeat by Walsall on Friday would, realistically, put us out of the race. But a top-three spot is all we want, I would settle for that, especially when you consider the disappointment of the last four seasons when we failed to go up via the play-offs”.

That doesn’t sound like a team going into the game with confidence. Their record of nine defeats this season, six of them away from home, might well be the reason for that, as they are having a very up and down time.
The key to this game will be Richard Money’s ability to lift the team following last week’s poor result. So far this season, under par results have usually been followed by good ones (Macclesfield away in the League, anyone?). Bouncebackability is the quality that needs to be shown and I think it will. Home win.