Best Of

Why did we ‘accidentally’ win two games? And talking of context, it’s a hell of a lot easier to play free flowing football in the early months of the season when the pressure to avoid losing is nothing like as intense as it is now. Plus, Dodds said very clearly in his interview that he’s encouraging the players to ‘take the handbrake off’ but I sense a nervousness on their part to take risks.

If we set up as negatively again against Shrewsbury then we know that's the way we're playing for the rest of the season and probably until Dodds departs. I live in hope that he will play to our attacking strengths against the worst squad in the league. But the realist / cynic in me knows we won't. It'll be control all the way, we'll win 2-0, everyone will be delighted on here for a few days... Until we play the same at the weekend, lose against a better team and finally some of the more optimistic on here might concede that perhaps, just perhaps, if we weren't set up so negatively from the start we'd have a better chance of winning games.

Terry Evans on the Preston player holding the ball in the corner remains the gold standard

Lucky not to be arrested for assault

Yeah. Given how Kone is regularly the only player in the opposition half, even when he's on the edge of their box.

Or, alternatively, we never looked like scoring until a very defendable channel ball from Leahy somehow resulted in their centre half slipping over and left Humphreys with only the keeper to beat. Winning in that manner is quite unusual. I called it a fluke and I stick by it.

"Accidentally" because neither win came about thanks to the tactics. And I addressed the handbrake comment elsewhere, I find it a bizarre thing for him to say to a group of players that he's sent out in a 9-0-1 formation - the words don't match the actions.

The best period of Saturday's game was the slightly hectic 2 or 3 mins after we scored.

It all went slightly off the control game plan and we were romping forward and it was all a little exciting.

Quickly calmed down though.

I remain unconvinced by the formation - and while a 1-0 victory is always welcome I do think it papers over cracks we can all see.

I like playing with a back three. But I think we need to ensure when we do the rest of the side are attack minded and that really stems from the wing backs. Playing with Grimmer and Leahy is the surest sign that we're setting out to grind a narrow victory - overly cautious, defensive-minded long ball. I just think we're better than that, especially against Lincoln. If we continue to play with Kone isolated he'll continue to overstretch and foul when balls come his way. Reach is classy but we don't need him roaming in the middle - we need a second striker to play alongside Kone. I know Udoh and Lubala are unavailable but why not try Vokes alongside him, especially if we're persisting in the ridiculously uncultured long ball play from Norris?

I thought the most interesting comment on this feed came from @StrongestTeam when he wondered if we'd ever started a second half strongly under Dodds. That was exactly what I was thinking at the time, also remembering the disastrous restart post Wrexham timeout. Does he have any presence in the dressing room? Any insight? Any motivational nous? I'm not confident he does.