Nketiah shows rich promise, Chelsea may rue Fàbregas’s exit, things about to hot up for Solskjær and what next for Carroll? Related: FA Cup third round serves up shocks as Barnet, Oldham and Newport shine Related: The Dozen: the weekend’s best FA Cup photos Continue reading...
The cathedral city is red and white with football fever as the side in the National League last season chase a trophy against Shrewsbury and a second straight promotionThe Gothic cathedral and thigh-thirsty Steep Hill are synonymous with Lincoln but the shops and businesses, from the tearooms to toy shops that line the latter, and surrounding streets are showcasing many distinctive, colourful – predominantly red and white – facades these days, for there is a window-dressing competition with a difference. The judges? The Cowley brothers.Patisseries, pottery studios and pubs are decked out in club colours. There is a sea of bunting, and images depicting Lincoln City’s likeable manager, Danny, and his assistant, Nicky, formerly PE teachers at the FitzWimarc school...
Arsène Wenger overcomes resistance to change, Aitor Karanka wants fighters more than Stewart Downing, and José Mourinho has more pressing concerns than getting revenge at ChelseaOne of the many criticisms routinely directed at Arsène Wenger concerns his tactical conservatism and it is fair to say that he has seldom deviated from his preferred and predictable 4-2-3-1 in recent years. But on the back of a crucial drop in form Wenger has actually started the last two games with a new plan, playing 4-3-3 against Bayern Munich and Lincoln to address the malfunctioning midfield by adding an extra man. He thinks some of his midfielders, namely Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, benefit from being in a three and perhaps it is...
Cowley will now focus on Lincoln’s National League and FA Trophy campaigns, while his Arsenal counterpart admitted there is no escape from criticismAs Lincoln’s players absorbed the experience by accepting the invitation to mingle with their counterparts in the home dressing room at the end of it all, it was important to make sure that City took care of some essential business. A member of Arsenal’s staff duly emerged from a cupboard with a broom, remarking: “They’ve asked for a hoover.” The broom was the best they could magic up at that moment. At Premier League level they are not used to requests from the opposition to clean the visitors’ dressing room. Whatever the circumstances, though, Danny Cowley insists on...
Millwall and Lincoln are in the mood for further upsets, José Mourinho has a tactical teaser at Chelsea and Rangers at risk of Old Firm derby embarrassmentThe FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday is a fitting way for Neil Harris to celebrate two years in charge of the club he loves. Regardless of the result, the club have been upwardly mobile under Harris, the club’s all-time record goalscorer. Harris initially took caretaker charge on 10 March 2015 before assuming the full-time position a month later. Their start to this season was tricky – at the end of September they had 12 points from 10 games – but now Harris’s side are only six points off the automatic promotion...