One of the first sentences uttered by Chris Moyses when he was appointed as Lincoln City boss back in November 2014: “Teamwork is behind everything I do.”
Moyses has now been in charge for more than a year, but how successful has his spell as manager been?
When Moyses came in to replace Gary Simpson he found the club languishing in mid-table mediocrity. Disgruntled supporters, a disillusioned squad and big expectations meant there was always going to be a period of transition at the club.
The Imps ended the 2014/15 season in an unconvincing 15th place in the Conference (as it was then known) and things did not get any easier for the new man in charge. In the summer of 2015 a staggering 13 First Team players left the club including Ben Tomlinson, Hamza Bencherif and Sean Newton.
Moyses had to get his recruitment spot on. Over a dozen new faces arrived for pre-season training and Imps fans would have been forgiven if they had not recognised many of their own players as they opened their season against Cheltenham Town back in August.
The motto ‘Team Lincoln’ has been the mantra for the Imps this season and Moyses often makes it clear that he only wants players who buy in to his team ethic and his new recruits have not let him down.
In particular, the signing of top scorer Matt Rhead from Mansfield Town was a masterstroke. At the time of writing, Rhead has scored 19 league goals for the Imps, but also the signings of Jack Muldoon, Terry Hawkridge and the recent signing of James Caton have all proved very shrewd.
A play-off challenge looked very likely, until a huge drop in form saw the Imps go 11 games without a win. During this time, Moyses’ experience was questioned; his only previous managerial job was with Lincoln Moorlands Railway. Fortunes seem to have changed though as the Imps sit ninth, just two points off the play-offs.
No matter where the Imps finish this season there is no doubt Moyses has brought the feel-good factor back.
He knows exactly what makes his players tick. Whether that is giving them the hairdryer treatment or putting an arm around them, his man management has been one of the major plusses in his tenure at Sincil Bank.
Overall, his spell has been successful. Some of the football the Imps have played this season is the best since they dropped out the Football League back in 2011. Despite this questions were asked over the festive period, however, there is no doubting Moyses’ love for the club.