This week Lincoln City announced the signing of two new young faces to bring the depth that head coach Michael Skubala said was much needed.
First through the door was 20-year-old Frankie Okoronkwo who signed on a season long loan from Premier League side Everton on Monday.
He spent last season on loan at League Two side Salford City where he made 24 appearances and picked up four goals along the way.
The Englishman most frequently featured as the focal point of the Ammies’ front line but has also been known to fill in out wide, so fits the mould of City’s physical and versatile front line.
Quickly following him, was Ukrainian under-21 international Ivan Varfolomeev who signed permanently from Czechia first division side Slovan Liberec.
The midfielder has been seen to operate in the spaces between defence and midfield so will most likely be seen in the double pivot for the Imps.
This would allow him to operate between both boxes dropping in to receive the ball as we have seen from Connor McGrandles and Ethan Hamilton so far this season.
While also allowing him to push further forward and pick up loose balls on the edge of the penalty area, a position which has seen him score two of his four career goals.
Credit: Andrew Vaughan for Lincoln City FC
How they fit:
This season has seen a number of subtle changes to the shape that the Imps adopt both in and out of possession.
Noticeably, this offers them more dynamism and fluidity in the positions that players take up specifically going forward when in possession of the ball.
The two players this seems to have affected most thus far are attacker Freddie Draper and midfielder Tom Bayliss.
Both have been seen to drop deeper to pick up the ball in the absence of the departed Ethan Erhahon and the injured Jack Moylan.
They seem to have adapted to the role well, especially Draper who bagged the winning goal in Tuesday’s win over Northampton Town. Speaking to LincSport co-editor Josh Birkin, Draper said:
“I know I can play there; it’s just having that sharpness, finding that space and linking up with players.”- Freddie Draper
Given what we have seen so far this season, this will almost certainly carry on with Moylan’s injury pushing Draper back and Okoronkwo now operating as the second striker option.
Varfolomeev is the one that seems to fit more seamlessly into the midfield pairing that can now either operate as a double pivot with either Bayliss or Ben House, but also has McGrandles dropping into to create triangles and track runners.
This fluidity was most noticeable in the lead up to the goal against Northampton Town in which McGrandles picked up the ball in space following an underlapping run from Bayliss.
While those movements are nothing new in the world of football it shows how Skubala’s side have been working throughout pre-season on their attacking patterns.
That triangle allowed the Imps to open up space and overload teams in the final third to then create what turned about to be the winning goal 30 seconds later.
Once Varfolomeev comes into the Imps side the 21-year-old will most likely undertake the role operated by McGrandles, in working alongside Bayliss with the Scot then operating in either of the two midfield roles when required.
It is much the same when the Imps have the ball in their own half of the pitch. This tends to be when that double pivot forms both with and without the ball.
This allows the side to get their full-backs into the game as the sitter drops in when moving through the thirds.
They will often find themselves ahead of the midfield to form those quick passing triangles that make the Imps so direct.
Credit: Graham Burrell
Then moving forwards, we can expect that Okoronkwo will simply form the traditional striker role that James Collins performs so well.
The Everton academy graduate will form the physical presence in the middle of the attack occasionally drifting wide for either Draper or Street to fill the vacated space.
Following four wins from five games to start the season it seemed like the only thing missing from the Imps was depth.
Now with Bolton Wanderers visiting the LNER Stadium this weekend they face their toughest test yet to maintain their unbeaten home record.
With two new faces through the door that, from the little we’ve seen, look to fit the system well, the Imps are in good stead to continue their push for a top half finish and possibly even look beyond.