What a difference a day makes! (well, two days actually).
An off-colour performance on Saturday against a spirited Accrington side resulted in a disappointing 1-0 reverse.
It was difficult to put a finger on the exact reasons behind the defeat, coming after two encouraging performances, but allowing your opponents' goalkeeper an untroubled afternoon for 75 minutes didnâÂÂt help.
By the time we exerted some pressure it was too little, too late.
My onwards journey from the game to Liverpool to see friends and relatives wasnâÂÂt helped as I listened on the radio to ArsenalâÂÂs dismantling of my team, Everton.
"Cheers Everton..."
I definitely didnâÂÂt need that as I approached the end of the M62 with my phone buzzing and a Liverpool-supporting family in no mood to be sympathetic.
Sample joke: âÂÂWhatâÂÂs the difference between a black cab and Everton? A black cab only lets in 5!âÂÂ
Ah, that famed scouse humour eh? How I laughed myself senseless that night! Or was it that I kept my powder dry for 24 hours as I watched Spurs deservedly beat Liverpool at White Hart Lane?
Funny how the text messages stopped and phones seemed to go to voicemail for the rest of Sunday.
But back to the mighty Imps from Lincoln, and a Tuesday night trip to Bradford.
TheyâÂÂve had a difficult start to the season, failing to score a single goal in three games, and despite my sympathies with their manager, and erstwhile former team-mate at Sheffield United Stuart McCall, we had to get our season back on track and bounce back from the Accrington loss.
We were certainly indebted to our goalkeeper Rob Burch, who made a couple of great saves including a penalty in the first half, as we looked edgy under pressure from the home side.
But after a few words at half-time and an enforced sub, we belatedly sprang into life.
We won and converted a penalty to make it 1-0, scored a fine second goal, and despite a late surge from the hosts, held on for a morale-boosting win.
A great result for all the travelling fans, and in particular the gaffer against his old club. He looked drained at the end of the game, not least because he puts nearly as much into the 90 minutes in the technical area as he did when he played!
So it was an enjoyable day off for all but the injured players on Wednesday, with the sun shining and just a scouting mission to Chesterfield that night to look forward to.
I didn't go with Matt the kit-man, aka Mourinho. The moniker is nothing to do with looks, charisma etc... just a reflection of the footballing sage of his own imagination.
Anyway, I cheerfully flung him out of a moving car last week (amazing how well a man can bounce at that speed!).
So instead I was accompanied by first-team coach Simon Clark, aka LondonâÂÂs Best-Looking Footballer, GMTV circa 1999.
Quite a collection of characters at the mighty Imps, I hear you say, and youâÂÂd be right.
And thatâÂÂs only the staff, whose state secrets revealed over a few beers I canâÂÂt possibly divulge... yet!
They unfortunately must remain on the pre-season tour of Germany back in July (what goes on tour, stays on tour).
The players though, thatâÂÂs different. IâÂÂll sing like the proverbial canary. They are, with a few exceptions (Rene Howe), a quiet-ish bunch.
However, itâÂÂs always best to be vigilant. It probably wouldnâÂÂt take them long to turn the club into a Lord of the Flies scenario if given a free rein.
Never let the inmates run the asylum I say, IâÂÂll be chronicling them a little more closely in the weeks to come.
Kovacs: "No, please, not the one about the time I..."
But not before a visit to Sincil Bank from the Football League new boys Burton Albion this Saturday.
Now managed by another former team-mate, Paul Peschisolido, theyâÂÂve had a mixed start to life in League 2, winning one and losing two.
I saw them in a pre-season game, and the reports weâÂÂve had is that theyâÂÂre a hard-working side who are capable of scoring goals.
So we need to be on our game, and hopefully buoyed by the Bradford result we can make it three wins out of four.
After our opening three games last season we hadnâÂÂt registered a single point, so put in perspective things are certainly looking up.
Onwards and upwards, see you next week.
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