Michael Appleton says that his Lincoln City side have ‘clearly exceeded’ their expectations so far this season in League One.
The Imps currently sit top of the table at the halfway point of the season with 48 points. However, Appleton has urged his side not to get carried away ahead of the visit of Doncaster Rovers to the LNER Stadium this weekend.
Many did not expect City to mount a promotion push this season, with Appleton himself believing that next season is more likely.
However, the Imps boss is keen to keep expectations realistic and take each game as it comes.
He said: “We’ve clearly exceeded our expectations and that’s just being honest.
“We felt we could be competitive. We felt we should be competing in the top half of the table, but to stick where we are with 48 points is way ahead of what we really expected.
“But we are enjoying it. We are enjoying the competition, the pressure that goes with that and long may it continue. For myself and the players, though, we are not getting carried away with anything.”
After defeating Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Tuesday night, the visit of Doncaster presents another tough test for the Imps in a crucial run of fixtures.
Appleton’s side face trips to promotion rivals Hull City in the space of seven days, the first of which comes in the Papa John’s Trophy.
However, he is continuing to tell his players not to get carried away with their success due to his past experiences as a player and a manager. Appleton was forced to retire early at the age of 27 due to injury and had to deal with the threat of administration during his first managerial role at Portsmouth, both of which he describes as a ‘slap in the face’.
He said: “People say ‘I wish you would cheer up’ and things like that, but I am so used to being slapped in the face as a football person.
“I’m used to getting slapped in the face. Don’t get me wrong I have had some good success as a coach and a manager, but for me it’s about game after game and just trying to keep winning games.
“If we are sitting here at the end of the season having been successful I’ll be sure to then show a little bit of emotion.”