Michael's pre match thoughts:



http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06439k1

Yeah.....already watched it on iFollow.......Matt Dean "how many points do you think you need" at least three times......thought MJ handled it well.

Bit disappointed with Matt there.  Surely he realises he won’t catch MJ out by rephrasing the same question again and again.  We are lucky to have selection headaches in a few positions.
I seen Mad Dogs interview and apparently Barnett have only 1 fit player and a goalkeeper drafted in from the under 12’s.

We only have to turn up I reckon (yeah right Mad Dog, we really do believe you ) !

Michael does sound like a man in charge who knows what he wants to say and nobody will make him say different.

I think we have a man going places lets hope its with us.

I think what helps here, bizarrely, is his lack of football experience. He talks like a fairly normal person would in a non-football/sport-related job. He's sensible, assured and doesn't get caught up in emotions or mind games.

We often say that confidence plays a huge part in football. If the perception of MJ is that he's confident, players and fans will feed off that. It may allow for the lack of skill we currently have in the squad.

Bang average players giving their all with a splash of confidence will actually take you a long way in this division.

I just hope we aren’t a stepping stone for Jolley hope he is with us for a good few years

Quoted from RichMariner

I think what helps here, bizarrely, is his lack of football experience. He talks like a fairly normal person would in a non-football/sport-related job. He's sensible, assured and doesn't get caught up in emotions or mind games.

We often say that confidence plays a huge part in football. If the perception of MJ is that he's confident, players and fans will feed off that. It may allow for the lack of skill we currently have in the squad.

Bang average players giving their all with a splash of confidence will actually take you a long way in this division.

A shame we haven't got a team of bang average players.

Quoted from OllieGTFC

I just hope we aren’t a stepping stone for Jolley hope he is with us for a good few years

I know what you are saying but in reality as a League 2 club should MJ be successful, as we all hope he will be, then a club f rom a higher league will come offering a better option. Ideally we as a club can match his ambition for the short-term but realistically a successful season at whatever level next year will always attract teams from higher leagues looking for their next a Manager.

Crowley’s are the perfect example and evidently favourites for the Ipswich job. Currently they are on crest of a. Wave and for a League 2 club raking in the cash both on and off the field. They have consistently said the job at Lincoln is an ongoing project and they will be staying this is backed up with their purchase of properties in the area as opposed to living in rent free club provided accommodations. That said if Managers do not take opportunities like Ipswich when they come along a change in your teams performances may mean these types of jobs are not offered again.

Let’s hope in 12 months MJ is being linked with Championship jobs as it will mean town have had a great year😄😄

He’s finished bottom of the league in Sweden and has managed to scrape 1 win (against the worst team in the football league) with us. Doubt he is being head hunted just yet!

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

I know what you are saying but in reality as a League 2 club should MJ be successful, as we all hope he will be, then a club f rom a higher league will come offering a better option. Ideally we as a club can match his ambition for the short-term but realistically a successful season at whatever level next year will always attract teams from higher leagues looking for their next a Manager.

Crowley’s are the perfect example and evidently favourites for the Ipswich job. Currently they are on crest of a. Wave and for a League 2 club raking in the cash both on and off the field. They have consistently said the job at Lincoln is an ongoing project and they will be staying this is backed up with their purchase of properties in the area as opposed to living in rent free club provided accommodations. That said if Managers do not take opportunities like Ipswich when they come along a change in your teams performances may mean these types of jobs are not offered again.

Let’s hope in 12 months MJ is being linked with Championship jobs as it will mean town have had a great year😄😄

I completely agree about Jolley. At the end of day the day he will move onto other things only if successful e.g. taking us up to league 1 which can only be a good thing. As much as we all love GTFC realistically we will Nearly always be a club that puts people in the spotlight to further their careers up the food chain. Most clubs are whether that be players or managers. Their are exceptions like Coleman and Askey, but they are exceptions.

As for the Cowleys, my understanding from other Lincoln fans on another forum is that they have not yet purchased property. Talked about it a lot but not actually gone through with it. Would not be surprised to see them end up at Ipswich at the end of the season, although there is supposedly a large buy out clause in their contract and not sure Ipswich as flush with cash.

Quoted from Posh Harry

I completely agree about Jolley. At the end of day the day he will move onto other things only if successful e.g. taking us up to league 1 which can only be a good thing. As much as we all love GTFC realistically we will Nearly always be a club that puts people in the spotlight to further their careers up the food chain. Most clubs are whether that be players or managers. Their are exceptions like Coleman and Askey, but they are exceptions.

A potentially unseen damaging aspect of the slade reign, we had alot of players pass through in recent years moving onto good contracts with league clubs or bigger clubs, and potential incoming players would see that or talk to players they know who are or have been associated with us and hear that, but slades come in and alot of our former none league players got sent back into none league, loan players have come here and not been given a chance, and its been a bad season in lots of ways so were a much harder sell in the next transfer window and have to completely rebuild a good club reputation we had with giving opportunites and team spirit etc

Quoted from Posh Harry

I completely agree about Jolley. At the end of day the day he will move onto other things only if successful e.g. taking us up to league 1 which can only be a good thing. As much as we all love GTFC realistically we will Nearly always be a club that puts people in the spotlight to further their careers up the food chain. Most clubs are whether that be players or managers. Their are exceptions like Coleman and Askey, but they are exceptions.

As for the Cowleys, my understanding from other Lincoln fans on another forum is that they have not yet purchased property. Talked about it a lot but not actually gone through with it. Would not be surprised to see them end up at Ipswich at the end of the season, although there is supposedly a large buy out clause in their contract and not sure Ipswich as flush with cash.

Your right about the buy out clause rumoured (strongly) to be £1M, but assume if true that would be negotiable. Ipswich would be perfect club for any aspiring manager as they certainly give you a fair crack of the whip. That said I think they like their football played on the ground so Crowley’s may have to adapt from their percentage style football of many crosses despite it being pretty effective to date.

Anyway enough about Lincoln except praying they win tomorrow as do we and maybe we can really start to believe we will scrape home this season.

Quoted from OllieGTFC

I just hope we aren’t a stepping stone for Jolley hope he is with us for a good few years

You mean like Slade did the first time around.

We or rather THEY made the massive mistake of re-employing the same manager he walked out on us without a second thought and then THEY gave him the opportunity to resurrect his failing career.

Think Jolley has got more class than that.

Clive Nates, Lincoln's south African investor has said that negotiations are already under way to extend the Cowley's contract again.

I can imagine it if Jolley does well with us fans will be wanting him on a 3 or 4 year deal to get more compensation for him if I big club comes calling but Fenty and the rest of the board will refuse and he will keep on a 6 month rolling contract and a club will poach him without paying much compensation at all.

What a state we are in, we are Lincoln's shadow!

Looking at the type of football Lincoln play and what Ipswich fans are looking for I'm not convinced the brothers would be a great match up.

They've done a good job at Lincoln without a doubt but this was with some cash and low fan expectation, Ipswich have no cash and high expectations.  

In May 2016 Danny was a part time football manager and PE teacher to jump from that to manager of a championship club in that time would be some personal achievement for sure.

Quoted from Davec

Clive Nates, Lincoln's south African investor has said that negotiations are already under way to extend the Cowley's contract again.

I can imagine it if Jolley does well with us fans will be wanting him on a 3 or 4 year deal to get more compensation for him if I big club comes calling but Fenty and the rest of the board will refuse and he will keep on a 6 month rolling contract and a club will poach him without paying much compensation at all.

What a state we are in, we are Lincoln's shadow!

MJ might like that rolling contract as it would work for him in terms of career opportunities. We don't know how much but we got money for Hurst and he was on a 6 month rolling.

Lets stay up before getting carried away eh?

Quoted from Davec

6 month rolling contract and a club will poach him without paying much compensation at all.

What makes you say that? A 6 month rolling contract isn't the same as having 6 months left of a 3 year contract. And it's not really the same for managers as it is for players. Clubs can wait 6 months to get a player for free, they can't really wait 6 months to acquire a manager.

Compensation is negotiated between the 2 clubs, there's no nominal fee. The recruiting club wants the manager now, not in 6 months time. For the compensation to be small, there would have to be the realistic possibility that MJ would hand in his notice and work 6 months then leave for nothing. So it's not as much of a hindrance to us as it might appear as far as I can see.

The main downside is that it might deter some people from taking the job, however those people would, I assume, not have much confidence in themselves to be successful because if the 3 years makes a difference then that is only paying you more for failure and getting sacked, not success.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Looking at the type of football Lincoln play and what Ipswich fans are looking for I'm not convinced the brothers would be a great match up.

They've done a good job at Lincoln without a doubt but this was with some cash and low fan expectation, Ipswich have no cash and high expectations.  

In May 2016 Danny was a part time football manager and PE teacher to jump from that to manager of a championship club in that time would be some personal achievement for sure.

It’s all very well the fans wanting one thing but as most agree they don’t have much cash and McCarthy spent years assembling a squad to play the way he wanted ie hoof ball, it would be very difficult for anyone to go in and change the fundamentals of their style completely without changing personnel which they can’t afford. I would have thought this would make the Cowleys the perfect fit. They play hoof ball a lot but I don’t think it is necessarily embedded into their long term ambitions as they seem able to mix and match it a bit with Lincoln from reports. I think this would make them ideal to change things at Ipswich over a period of time.

Interesting that the Lincoln owner is saying that he expects them to sign a new contract soon. Didn’t they sign a 5 one when they got promoted? That suggests that someone is sniffing around and I’d be surprised if that is not Ipswich.