Imps likely to prevail

CAS Trust's comments on tomorrow's fixture at Lincoln have an ecclesiastical theme, but I doubt whether the Almighty will intervene on Charlton's behalf tomorrow: https://www.castrust.org/2024/12/brunch-time-battle-praying-for-victory-in-the-cathedral-city/

I am second from bottom in the Badger Prediction League, but I marked this down as a 2-1 defeat at the beginning of the season.   It might be 3-1 given recent performances, although Charlton can sometimes spring a surprise.

Lincoln are currently 9th in League One with hopes of making the play off places.   They are, however, 18th in the form table, one place below Charlton.   In the FA Cup last Saturday they beat Crawley 4-3 away, something we could not manage at home.

This is our ninth meeting in League One and student journalists remind us that Charlton have won just twice in those encounters: https://thelinc.co.uk/2024/12/preview-lincoln-city-vs-charlton-athletic-league-one/

So let's turn to the aftermath of a likely defeat.   There will be renewed calls for Jones to go, ignoring anyone else who might have some responsibility:

• The players - we are told they have to be motivated, but they are well-paid professionals.  Once my dentist has collected £90 for entering the practice, he is well motivated to find ways to increase the bill.
• The 'decision makers' at the club.  They have fancy titles and are presumably rewarded, but the value they add is less clear.
• The medical staff and physios
• The rest of the coaching staff, albeit weakened in August.

There will also be forecasts that we will be playing in League Two next season.  All that it requires to stay up is for four teams to be worse than us and this Charlton team is good enough to finish 17th.

Some think the club would disappear, but the 24 clubs currently in League 2 manage to stay afloat as do the former EFL teams that play in the two top tiers of the non-league system.  I don't think the attendance would fall as many predict as we would win more matches.