It isn’t too hard to work out where City are lacking at the moment. Under Chris Sutton, the Imps have done well, picking up six points in three matches. However, in 13 league games this season , the Imps have been able to find the net on just 9 occasions.

Not only is this a very poor record, but there is only one team in the division who have scored fewer goals than Lincoln. Yes, that’s right, even Grimsby have scored more goals than City this season. Unsurprisingly, the team that has scored fewer than the Imps is Darlington who were without a win until their shock victory over Shrewsbury at the weekend.  

It is a worrying statistic because those of you who attended the Imps 3-0 win over the Quakers will be only too aware of what a poor side they are.

No Striking Options

If City are to turn things around this season, Chris Sutton is going to have to find a way of squeezing a few more goals out of the City strikers. Howe is the Imps’ top scorer with four league goals, followed by Fagan who has three. Torres, now back with Peterborough, and Janos Kovacs have each netted once. The likes of Butcher, Jamie Clarke, John-Lewis and Stefan Oakes have all failed to contribute so far.

After the defeat to Northampton, Sutton admitted that while the Imps did well defensively, they need to do a lot of work on their forward play.

Sutton’s decision to put 35-year-old assistant Ian Pearce up-front in an attempt to salvage a point, is perhaps the biggest indication that the Imps have a severe lack of forward options.

Injuries and New Arrivals

It’s not all doom and gloom though, Paul Connor is on his way back and his return will increase City’s potency in the forward line. The striker made a promising start to the season before picking up a knee injury against Darlington. He may not contribute many goals but he will create chances and could form a strong partnership with Howe if Sutton chooses to use him that way.

Then there is the imminent arrival of Khano Smith. The winger is a bit of an unknown quantity but if he settles well, he could be a valuable addition to the team. 

Solid at the Back

While the strikers have struggled this season, City have depended heavily on the form of Rob Burch to keep them away from the relegation zone. The goalkeeper has been the star performer so far this season having kept 5 clean sheets and made countless crucial saves.

While Burch’s excellent displays are making him more and more popular with Lincoln fans, he will undoubtedly be attracting interest from other clubs as well. The Keeper is out of contract in the summer so could well be on his way at the end of the season, but don’t be surprised if some big clubs start sniffing around as the January transfer window approaches.

The Solution?

Chris Sutton cannot be blamed for City’s weak attacking play because of the squad he inherited. Time will tell if City have enough goals in them to save the season. At the moment it seems that they are in need of another striker or at least a player to create chances for the strikers who are already there. The Imps cannot continue to depend solely on Rob Burch to help them beat the drop.

Maybe Khano Smith or Paul Connor can provide the answer but if that doesn’t work, Sutton might have to join Ian Pearce on the pitch... Or give one of his former Blackburn colleagues a call...