Steve Tilson was in positive mood ahead of the Imps’ trip to Morecambe, who have endured a slow start this season after earning a play-off berth last term.
After seeing his Lincoln side put in an improved performance against Nuneaton Town, the former Southend boss said he expected his side to haul themselves up the League Two table.
“I’ve had one negative day since I’ve been here and that was the second half against Northampton,” he said, “apart from that, the training’s been fantastic. It’s been a really good tempo, the players are giving everything they’ve got and on the pitch we’ve had some decent results. Obviously, things can improve. We’re second from bottom, so we need them to improve, but there’s a good buzz about the place.”
He continued: “Any team in this league can beat any other team. I really believe that from top to bottom. Going through their [Morecambe] side, they’ve got some decent players. If they all perform to the best of their ability, they should probably win more than they lose.
“I’m trying to be positive. As a club – and that includes the supporters – we’ve got to start being more positive than what we may have been in the past. If I start being negative, then that’s just going to go through to the players and that’s not going to help anyone.
“I think bringing four loan players in has increased competition for places. I think players have got to be on their toes a little bit more. They know that on Saturday, they’ve got to perform or they may not be in the side.
Sammy McIlroy’s Morecambe find themselves in 17th place after a run of three defeats in their last five outings in all competitions, despite an impressive 5-0 win over Stockport at the beginning of the month.
That inconsistency will be a cause for concern for the former Northern Ireland manager, who has no new injury concerns after their FA Cup disappointment against Cheltenham. Former Grimsby striker Phil Jevons is likely to partner Paul Mullin in attack after his impressive hattrick against Stockport.
Tilson will have to continue without right back Paul Green, who is back in light training after his recent lay-off. Arsenal loanee Gavin Hoyte is likely to deputise. In the heart of defence, Adam Watts is struggling with his achilles and may miss out, whilst midfielder Clark Keltie’s suspension means that Scott Kerr is likely to make a return.
Gillingham loanee Josh Gowling is likely to keep his place in the back four following a steady start to his spell at Sincil Bank. He has made the trip to the Globe Arena with his parent side, and knows what to expect.
He said: “They’re hard-working and solid. They have two big strikers and their midfielders run out, so they’ve got a bit of everything and they’ll be hard to break down. I’ll be letting the lads know tomorrow when we do shape and tactics.
“They’re beatable. It’s so tight; two wins and we’re up there. The most successful teams are the ones that are organised and hard to break down. That’s what we’ve got to be away from home certainly.”