puncheon

with the arrival of bouazza is the puncheon ideal now dead??

 

Not dead but on hold.

 

If Bouazza shows the form which made Fulham pay 4 mil for him, we won't want Puncheon.

 

Monday, January 31, 2011, 07:00Comment on this story Share
Grimes proves his worth as the Imps ease drop fears with victory

Ashley Grimes is congratulated on his goal by Scott Kerr.
IF Lincoln City needed further evidence as to why investing in a top class striker is essential for progression then Ashley Grimes' right foot should provide all the proof they need.

Another exercise in quality finishing provided the on-loan Millwall striker with his eighth goal of the season and in the process dramatically eased concerns about relegation.

Like Davide Somma before him, Grimes has become the season's saviour adding yet more weight to the theory that you are only one decent goalscorer away from being a good team.

Inevitably strikers of this class range are the difference between one point or three and until his intervention Lincoln seemed destined to succumb to Port Vale's suffocating tactics.


But despite not delivering the best performance of his time at Lincoln so far, Grimes proved that like expert snipers he only needs one clear sight of goal to inflict a lethal blow.

Among his League Two contemporaries there is nobody presently eclipsing this sort of form which predictably led to chants of "sign him up."

Such decibels of desire surrounded Somma last season and following a summer of continued rumour, a move never materialised for the South African.

Whether Lincoln fans would be quite so forgiving at missing out on a striker of similar quality remains to be seen because the worry is a host of other teams will have now become alerted to his predatory instincts.

The manager Steve Tilson refused to be drawn into a debate about Grimes' long-term prospects, instead preferring to marvel at another logbook entry of outstanding finishing.

"It's a fantastic goal from Ashley and when he's in that form, he feels he can score from anywhere," he said.

"It's gone in the top corner and it was enough to win the game. People will talk about his goals alerting other clubs, but we have got him until the end of the season and that will do for me.

"Outside of that if he keeps scoring, then he won't be playing at this level. He's good player, he's bright, he's scoring goals and he's enjoying his football.

"For him that's got to be the main thing and if I can keep him until the end of the season and he keeps on doing what he is doing, that will be great for us."

The quality of Grimes' finish was the only highlight of the entire game which Tilson maintained was "one of the worst he had seen in a while".

It was not helped by Vale's negative tactics as Jim Gannon, hoping to steer their play-off bid back on track, opted to play a 4-2-3-1 formation.

For a team that is trying to win promotion, it hardly sent out the right message to the supporters, who only saw one on target all afternoon.

They would be quite within their rights to ask for a refund such was the powderpuff attack which essentially deprived Justin Richards of any service and also killed any entertainment.

For Gannon, whose own official website carries a great deal of analysis on formations, this was a system that horribly backfired.

When quizzed on his tactics and player selection, he was clearly rattled and went on the offensive in his post-match press conference asking journalists who they thought he should play.

But that is why he is paid large of sums of money because that is his job and at this rate Vale's promotion push is in danger of going up in smoke.

Although they denied Lincoln space in what was a congested midfield, Tilson's side certainly had more invention and in the end just about deserved their victory.

Indeed just 10 shots were registered throughout the afternoon which, using the law of averages, was never going to make for an absorbing spectacle.

Lincoln marginally had the better of the first half, with Josh O'Keefe forcing Chris Martin to smother at his near post and Delroy Facey sending an ambitious lob onto the roof of the net.

For their part, Vale could not fashion any momentum and despite a succession of crosses, Adam Watts and Danny Hone, aided by Trevor Carson, dealt with them comfortably.

In the second half, the game did improve but it was not until Gannon made another mistake by sacrificing his team's solidity to move to a 4-4-2 formation.

What that did was open up the game as a contest as Grimes and midfielder Luke Howell broke free from Vale's manacles which had successfully restricted their movement.

The pair have built up a good understanding in the time they have been together on the pitch and it was no surprise that it was this combination that opened up Vale's defence.

It was worth the wait too. Grimes exchanged passes with Howell and while the angle was acute, he unleashed a terrific shot across Martin and into the top corner.

Sincil Bank erupted at the final whistle as they toasted moving three points clear of the relegation zone with the last week dramatically changing the landscape of the table.

Inevitably eyes have now begun to drift towards the future. Lincoln fans will hope Grimes is a long-term part of it.

 

Grimes never got given a fair go imo, hope he continues to do well at Lincoln

 

I've been keeping an eye on Grimes and most weeks he is scoring, let's hope we can try and keep hold of him !

 

The Imps have signed up Ali Fuseini until 2012, how he got let go over Laird I will never know.

 

Afternoon all.

This is my virginal post so be gentle with me.

I would absolutely love to get Punch as it would be the icing on the cake for me for this window.

 

I thought Ali was quite talented just needed the guidance from KJ, who cares when we have Eastmond on loan

 

Ali always gave his all and was our type of player running himself into the ground for the cause but never really got a look in. Can't believe we let Ali go and kept Laird at the time.

 

Personally, i dont think Punch will happen and with Bouazza it doesn't matter so much now.

Ali had to go because he was involved in a 'rape' investigation last summer so KJ probably took the safe option, plus he was a bit of a headless chicken and at this level decent midfielders and attackers would have run rings round him.

 

Steve

What's it like living in Trainspotter land?

 

Bouzzar has played 50 premiership games and nearly 100 championship games. Sounds good to me.

 

There's far worse places to live in London Showoff.

What about you mate if you don’t mind me asking, where abouts in sunny Spain do you live? Mainland, Canaries or Balearics?

 

Punch deal looks off until the summer now.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11700_6714604,00.html

 

I live in Andalucia. Hot, dry, good food, beach in the summer, snowboarding in the winter. **** local football team (but I'm used to football failure). Used to live in Archway but my mum's family are from Walworth Rd so Millwall was my only choice really. I was the ONLY 'Wall' in a school of 1200 kids.

Worked in Croyden for a while and passed the Trainspotters ground every day to work.

 

showoff.
The irony is that Crippled Alice fans don't even live near the ground even though it’s all residential around there! It made a change to be nearer to the ground for an away game when we visited there dump on October 16th to have the pleasure of the Arthur Wait relic.

There is more Wall living in the Upper/South Norwood area.

Palarse fans are down in Croydon, Wallington, Waddon, Sutton and beyond although you also see plenty of Chelski shirts in Sutton as well when me and my wife go there as we do regularly. I’ll be glad when they move to their new ground although they can change the ground but they wont change the result and that's if their still in the same league as us although who knows if they will have to change their plans if the Yids win the Olympic stadium. I walk past the CPNSC everyday on the way to work via Palace train station and it’s nearer to me than the Selhust Park ****hole.

 

yes, can't see it happening now!!!