Jamie Forrester talks Lincoln and his other former clubs

“It was one of the greatest results in the competition’s history. The club has been in the doldrums in the last few years so Dan Cowley and his backroom team deserve a massive amount of credit for bringing the club off its knees. The players have certainly bought in to what he’s doing and the fans are really behind him. I’ve not experienced an atmosphere like the one against Ipswich in a long time.

“What was really impressive about the FA Cup game was that normally in these massive upset games, the goals scored by the underdog are normally against the run of play, a bit lucky in nature, but in this game Lincoln played Ipswich off the park. You weren’t sure watching it as a neutral who was the National League and Championship team, so they thoroughly deserved it. They’re not only performing in the cup, they’re doing really well in the league so it’s turning out to be a fantastic season for the club. They’ve had some really tough times, losing their league status, so it’s been tough to watch as an ex-player but I’m very hopeful they can get promoted.”

“To be honest the odds are against them and it’s going to be very difficult but they will go in to the game full of hope. One thing that’s been obvious is the consistency of performances. After that result against Ipswich, they won their next league game only three days later so they’re consistently performing at a high level – they will certainly give Brighton a run for their money.

“Truthfully, I don’t think Brighton will be nearly as complacent as Ipswich were so I don’t think they’ll cause their own problems in the fixture. But, as we know in this competition, you never know what can happen and if Lincoln perform like they did against Ipswich then I would not put it past them beating Brighton. They’ve got Matt Rhead and Nathan Arnold on song so I think a potential replay could be possible.”

“From the outside looking in he’s galvanised everybody. When he was appointed he was a full-time teacher, his brother was a full-time teacher and they gave up their jobs. Obviously they were managing in the National League part time but they gave up their jobs, relocated and literally invested their whole life into Lincoln City. Although at the time they had very good reputations, they’ve just come in and completely galvanised the club.

“Momentum plays a massive part in it but Dan has got every single player playing together as a team. This year they’ve scored 57 goals in the league and there’s not one individual who’s contributing far more than any other. Matt Rhead’s scored 11, Nathan Arnold has scored 10 so it means they’re sharing the goals and not reliant on one individual – that’s the ultimate sign of a team unit. Every player seems to know their role within the team and when everyone is clicking, you see that in the performances and results.

Normally the lower down the leagues you go, the consistency level is something that crops up more and more. They’ll play great against Ipswich on a Saturday and then the following game the consistency levels drop but Dan has made sure they do not. Lincoln are still in the FA Trophy, FA Cup and favourites to go up in the league – if anybody had offered you that at the start of the season they’d have bitten your hand off. Dan has done an astonishing job with his backroom staff and I just hope their work is rewarded with a return to the Football League.”

“You wouldn’t bet against them so why not? A lot depends on how this FA Cup run will affect them. They probably had one eye on the Brighton game after Barrow so depending on how far they go in the FA Cup, the next four or five games will give you a good indication – if they keep winning then they’ll get promoted.”

“My time at Northampton was extremely tough because we were never sure if we’d get paid or not. I always recall a funny story, which actually wasn’t funny at all at the time, about the players not getting paid. I was one of the players who didn’t get paid for a few months and there was a period where the club would pay by cheques rather than bank transfer and some cheques didn’t clear. So it ended up being a free-for-all rush to the bank, a squad of 20-odd players rushing in to their cars straight after training to see who would get paid first. I can honestly laugh about it now but at that time when we had mortgages to pay and families to support, it was incredibly stressful.”

“The club has certainly had its difficulties in recent times. Kelvin Thomas has come in and rejuvenated the club since he took over as the club was really in the doldrums with the whole East Stand fiasco – he’s fixed this right away. The club had been doing very well under Chris Wilder and it was always going to be a tough job to fill his boots. The appointment of Justin is a positive one, though, he’s had experience managing in League One with Gillingham so as far as I’m concerned it’s a fantastic appointment.

“I know the club are currently in a bit of a rut, only a few places above the relegation zone, so it’s important to get a win under their belt after a successive run of defeats. I don’t think this sort of situation is particularly new to Northampton Town, so they’ll know how to deal with it. They’ve got a good chance to bounce back against Coventry on the weekend and I hope a good result will bring some confidence and momentum back into the squad and fan base.”

“Although I don’t know a lot about the club, historically Gillingham have sacked managers very quickly through questionable judgement. If you look at the dismissals over recent years, it seems there’s a managerial merry-go-round going on. Bearing this in mind, I think that holds Justin’s profile in good stead. If you look back not too far, he was being headhunted for jobs a lot higher in the Championship. It’s a fantastic appointment and time will tell but he has to get the team out of this predicament and I’m sure he will.”

“Every club will be looking for strikers in January, it’s a given. Keshi will hopefully be a great signing for the club but there are strikers out there, sitting on benches at clubs far higher up than Northampton who could do a job on loan. I know from experience that a change of scenery can change a player’s fortunes and help kick-start their careers again so I’m sure Justin has his eye on some.

With Keshi and other new signings, you’ve got to trust the manager’s judgement that they will come in and start performing. Justin will have researched them but of course, with any signing, an element of luck is involved.”

“Graham Alexander has great experience at this level, having managed Fleetwood Town for a few seasons. He lost the job there and you could argue his stint at Fleetwood wasn’t the most successful but he’s come in to Scunthorpe and done an amazing job. Chairman Peter Swann has backed him and they’ve got some big plans with their new stadium so it’s exciting times at the club. One thing that will give him confidence is that the chairman is synonymous with backing his managers, even at Gainsborough. The club has always had a large budget relative to other clubs in the division so the manager certainly has the backing.

“The reason they are in the automatic promotion places is Josh Morris, who has scored 17 goals and assisted nine times this season so far. That’s a huge impact on the team and with Kevin Van Veen chipping in too, they’ve got a very strong team. Looking at the situation right now, they are going to push for the automatic spots but it’s going to be tough with Sheffield United and Bolton competing with them. They’ve got some nice home fixtures coming up to hopefully try and separate themselves and create a gap from the playoff places.”

“Out of Sheffield United, Bolton and themselves, you’d put them as the least favourite to secure the automatic promotion spots purely on the size of the club and fan base. If you look at the table, you’d certainly anticipate them to be at least in the play-offs but it will be tough.

“They recently lost to Bolton Wanderers in a top of the table clash but they’ve recovered again but, to be honest, the lower you go down the league it’s more about ‘on the day’ performances. The team that performs more consistently on the day will more likely go up and right now Scunthorpe know they have a great unit and great belief within the squad so I’m pretty sure it will come down to the wire. I’m certainly hoping they can get into the Championship, get their new stadium and maintain that status going forward.”

“I think you have to remember the growth that Bristol Rovers have seen in the last few seasons has been monumental. Nobody anticipated them losing their league status and many clubs do struggle to get it back, so to come back at the first time of asking with Darrell Clarke is a massive achievement and since then they’ve gone from strength to strength. One thing is they are very leaky defensively this season and it’s something Darrell and his backroom staff have to address if Rovers are to push on this season.”

“He’s an absolutely fantastic manager. He was heavily linked to Leeds in the summer and Bristol Rovers knew they needed to keep him and to tie him down to a long-term contract so the stability is there. Up until recently the growth was non-stop, going all the way up to the play-off positions, and in my opinion they seemed to have just petered out. I think in the grand scheme of things, if somebody had said two or three years ago ‘you’ll have a fight for the play-offs in League One’ they’d have snapped your hand off.

“However, this is an expectant fan base. They know that with the structure at the club, it could withhold Championship football, so once they got the taste of play-offs, they will want more. To maintain League One status this season would be a massive achievement but I’m sure if you ask Darrell Clarke, he’ll want to be in the play-offs. They are leaking goals but they’ve got Matt Taylor scoring for fun and if they can shore it up at the back, then they’ve got a great chance of doing so.”

“He certainly has been decisive. I think it’s a sign of his strength at the club to be brutally honest. Players he has listed are experienced professionals that have played at a higher level. One thing you are surprised about as a spectator is managers going public on these types of situations. Lots of things go on behind the scenes when you’re surplus to requirements, some managers tell you, some don’t but not many go public on it.

“I think Darrell’s decision to go public has shown he’s keen on getting them out, being decisive and showing his strength at the club. The board will certainly back Darrell like they have done since he’s been there so I think you have to trust Darrell in his decisions at the club with the players he wants out.

“When I was there, Bristol Rovers was the sort of club that if they don’t want you there they’ll back the manager and get the squad the manager wants. I think the fans have to trust Darrell and it’s the right decision to make. It’s a tough sport, the guys he’s listed know how it works. It’s not personal, just the ruthlessness of football.”

“I bet Garry Monk didn’t realise the size and potential of Leeds United before he took over but certainly he’ll be in no doubt the size of the club now. He’s brought the good times back to Elland Road. Every time you see the footage of a home game the stadium looks absolutely bouncing. I played about 15 games for the first team and when I did it’s something you don’t forget.

“I honestly believe the Premier League needs Leeds United, it would be a better league for having them. If Garry keeps this team rolling we could see a Leeds team similar to that of the early 90s. They’ve only lost once in their last eight. They’re third in the league and have a tough tie in the FA Cup on the weekend against Sutton. They lost on the weekend against Barnsley but that’ll just be a blip – I’m sure they’ll get back into the Premier League if they can cement their play off place.”

“Grimsby have had a tough few years since they lost their league status. It’s taken them a lot longer to come back than I’m sure the fans would have thought and hoped. However, many teams that come up from the National League do well in League Two in their first season and Grimsby Town are no different.

“Marcus Bignot has been a very refreshing signing for them and hopefully he can help take the club back up the leagues. It’s a club that isn’t fazed by the pressure, they’ve been to finals – both in the FA Trophy and play-offs – so they will have an edge about them if they get in to the play-offs. It’s an extremely competitive league, especially with Portsmouth and Luton Town fighting at the top, but there’s no reason why Grimsby can’t be in that mix with a few games to go.”

“Omar Bogle is a vitally important player for the club at the moment, he’s a massive, massive asset to them. They turned down a bid from Rotherham for him and hopefully it will pay dividends – with his goals they have every chance to get in to the play-off places. Grimsby’s potential will completely depend on if they can keep him.”

“Historically most clubs will certainly make a change at this time of year if they feel they’ve got half a chance of doing something. On the face of it we’d all agree it was harsh for Mike Phelan to lose his job but I think since Marcos has taken over I’ve seen an improvement in the team. However he’s done it, on the training pitch or man management, you can certainly point to an improvement. I think the main difference is in attitude. They no longer look like they’re going to teams and waiting to be beaten.

“They lost to Chelsea but they certainly gave it a right go. I think they were deflated emotionally following Ryan Mason’s injury and we all hope he makes a full recovery. You could argue that they should have been given a penalty to draw level but there is certainly a difference in the team, they’ve got a bit more belief, a little bit more energy. Harry Maguire is a player who has found some form. He’s come out of nowhere to be a standout player for Hull at the moment.”

“Unfortunately for Marcos, they’re going to lose some big players and I’m sure he’s not going to be surprised to find this out. Many managers in the Premier League do not have a say in these sorts of situations anymore and with [Jake] Livermore gone and [Robert] Snodgrass looking likely to go, it’s going to be a tough few months for the club.”

“I think it’s inevitable he will leave the club. It all comes down to who they can replace him with. One thing going for Marcos Silva is that he’s aware of talent on the continent, more so than Phelan was, so he might have a few players in Europe he’s eyeing up as a replacement. It’s very difficult to replace someone of Snodgrass’ calibre and a lot of Premier League players might not want to go to Hull based on their situation. “

“The top sides have massive, massive squads. They’ve just recruited [Oumar] Niasse from Everton, so there’s lots of players that are at the squads in the top six or seven teams that you could loan for six months but the problem with this is that they might not be match fit. They need someone to come in and hit the ground running so you’d probably argue they’d go for someone playing for a top team abroad.”

“I would have to say no. They’ve lost Livermore, they’ve lost Ryan Mason probably for the season and they’re going to lose Snodgrass. To lose those three players, I don’t think they can match Swansea or Crystal Palace’s firepower. Hull don’t have a [Fernando] Llorente or [Christian] Benteke to get them the goals they need. Abel Hernandez is simply not at it, his hold up play is awful and he looks massively out of his depth at Premier League level.”

“The straight answer is yes. I went to France and I went to Holland and it didn’t work out for me but I’m really glad I gave it a go, from a football perspective and from a personal perspective it broadens your horizons.

“I came to Holland at a time when 4-2-3-1 was normal and was not seen in England at the time. The Dutch were so ahead of their time tactically and it was really tricky to adjust to their systems, I really struggled. However with modern football, I would definitely tell players to experience football abroad. The Premier League has the money to keep players but I learned a great deal about how to improve areas of my game, my lifestyle and nutrition – these are all things players can constantly improve on.”

“No, my manager at Walsall was Ray Graydon. He could turn milk sour to be brutally honest. So I think if you even tried to look at Ray Graydon he’d fine you three weeks’ wages. He wasn’t particularly approachable. I probably could have ended up talking myself out of something and ending up playing wide left. So sometimes it’s better to just keep your mouth shut.”