Lincoln City manager Gary Simpson is pleased to relieve pressure on himself after he oversaw his sides 2-0 win over Telford.
A poor run of form which had seen the Imps win just one game in seven since the dramatic derby win over Grimsby in early September, had put Simpson under pressure from sections of the crowd.
Defender Sean Newton called for the club to back Simpson in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, insisting that the buck should stop with the performance of the players.
And Newton was on the score sheet as the Imps secured a vital win on Saturday – lifting them up the table and easing the pressure on his manager.
Pressure which Simpson admits, although he has been ignoring it, has been getting to the players.
“The pressure filters through to the players. As I have said, they haven’t done that badly in some games and they’ve been a bit unfortunate.”
“I don’t read [the speculation] because you’d just cave your head in.
“I’ve just got to concentrate on making sure they players are right – try and protect the players as much as I can and keep them as a group together.
“I’ve tried to shield them as much as I can. If people want to shout at me and say this that and the other than that is up to them.”
And Simpson still has faith his side can achieve good things this season.
“As you can see, they are together, they want to do well as a group and they are trying.”
“I am more than confident in them. They’re a good set of lads – as good as I’ve put together and I am really, really pleased for them.”
The 53-year-0ld was not just pleased with the win, but with the manner in which the players delivered the three points in front of the Sincil Bank crowd.
“I thought we acquitted ourselves well. We set off like we set off the other night but controlled it a lot better.
“It didn’t quite go for us first half. We had a lot of possession and huffed and puffed but didn’t have that many chances.
“We looked solid, we looked tight, we looked as if we could break on them and we got through them on numerous occasions late on.
“Nobody could have complained if we’d have won that by a few more.”
[…] Gary Simpson, hopes his team can build upon the result against Telford having come under a lot of pressure in recent weeks as a consequence of their poor run of […]