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Nice article Paul.

CS is very well noted for his seemingly surly manner off the pitch, but I feel he's slowly but surely turning things around for us. We recently had a ten-game winless streak which we ended on Boxing Day which had some of the doom-mongers out (chopping and changing the squad every match probably didn't help), but the relief was clear to see on the players' faces at the final whistle.

In addition to this, he's bought in some quality loanees obviously via his contacts who have done rather well for us. Eric Lichaj has just gone back to Villa, but is being tracked by Peterborough which shows just how highly regarded he is, Chris Herd also from Villa is looking very dynamic and influencial for us in midfield and we've recently bought in a few from Fulham that look promising too.

I'm confident we can secure survival this time out, things are looking a bit more positive, and build for a vastly improved 2010/11.

Up the Imps.

chris sutton. super player, and a super guy. very good article, and i do hope him and lincoln do ok this season and things pick up- always look out their results every week. good luck.

miss you in the east end of glasgow big guy

Very good article and fully agree with comments by cheerio10inarow.We'll never forget Chris Sutton's skill and total commitment to Celtic. All Celts wish him and Lincoln well.

As a fanatical Lincoln City supporter of over 40 years I desperately hope he saves us from relegation out of the Football League. I believe that one day in may years to come he will be a successful manager. However, so far in his reign as manager, Lincoln have declined both in league position and in the quality of our football.

When Lincoln were in such a dangerous position, it was either a very brave OR an incredibly foolish decision of the Lincoln Board to appoint someone like Sutton with no management experience, especially when plenty of high quality experienced managers applied for the job. I hope the Board's decision turns out to be brave rather than foolish, but I can't help fearing the worse.

Good article Paul, but I agree with the news hound. As a Lincoln season ticket holder I have to say the football is somewhat "Agricultural". Our position is precarious and I fear if we go down, we could stay down for a very long time. Worrying times. I just hope CS sticks at it and doesn't give up on us.
It's nice to know we've got new friends in Glasgow though!!!!

I think most of his surliness came after the media treatment he received through his time at Chelsea and his turning down the England B... It wasn't his fault Chelsea paid 10mil for him.. the tag brought the pressure and then obviously a dry season and the media were all over him..

The England B was a farce too.. these days you have players pulling out of full England friendlies and playing 3 days later for their team and there is only whispers about being dis-loyal.. once again his reputation led to him being hung out to dry..

Good luck to him is all I can say.. loved him at Celtic

Saw Sutton playing a friendly for Celtic in Derry once. He was subbed at half-time but spent the entire second half outside the dugout signing autographs for youngsters. A complete gentleman. Question: is it true he's the only player ever to win a league title (with Celtic) and be relegated (with Birmingham) in the same season - 2006?

I've always liked and had the utmost respect for Chris Sutton as a player. I've also had some fantastic trips to Sincil Bank, not all the long a go when Hull City were in Division 3. I always enjoyed my trips to the south side of the bridge, by all accounts back then Lincoln were not struggling at the foot of the football league. Chants of "The Imps are going up" would be shouted around the ground, I would hate to see them go the same way as York City and fall out the league.

So wish him, and Lincoln all the best for the rest of the season.

I may be wrong but wasn't that the England B International that Matt Le Tissier ended up playing in, scoring a hat-trick, and still not getting to the Tournament that followed soon after? Sort of proved Sutton's point for me.
Good to hear his former managers O'Neill and Hodgson have been helping him out anyway.

#9 Yes that is right.

Chris Sutton was wrong in my opinion to refuse to represent his country but that was his choice I guess.

It would seem that he was the type of player who excelled in the Premier League but just didn't make the leap to International player, see Andy Cole.

Either way it is good to see a top player start in the lower divisions. Good luck.

Always had a healthy amount of respect for the player - there's nothing wrong with a winning mentality. Wish him well in his managerial pursuits, but worry that the task at Lincoln will be a hard one for somebody with no prior experience. Perhaps Sutton would have benefitted from a stint as an assistant - it seems to be that if you don't excel in your first appointment, your prospects for the future are restricted to punditry.

I think Sutton will keep us up. We have Barnet away next (in very poor form) and Bradford at home likewise I can see us getting 4 points from those games :). I don't think we have a very good side but it's not his fault what he's inherired. Lichaj was very good and Herd may be a little inexperienced and tries to do a little bit too much with the ball but when he gets the ball he always looks like he'll do something positive. So I give him credit in bringing some decent players in. Only thing he needs to work on for me is defensively all goals we concede seem to happen when full backs get beat then centre halves rush out wide to cover em there's nobody in the middle and opposition pass it and it's an easy goal. If he can cut them mistakes out we'll be fine :)

Wish Sutton all the best! It's hame Hoddle didn't capitalise on the SAS partnership for England. Sutton and Shearer were arguably the best English strike pairing of their era when at Blackburn and it's mind boggling why they were never played together for the country.

Missed something huge there in my opinion.

"To him the game was all about winning" - this seemed to sum the man up perfectly. He's best remembered up here in Scotland as someone lacking in grace. His antics where he constantly haranged officials and showed no respect to beaten opponents were a common feature of his approach to the game. Hopefully getting beaten week in week out with Lincoln City will teach him some humility.

"I read one article that described Sutton's appointment as one of the most unlikely is this or indeed many a long season"

in?

Interesting write-up. Any signs that working with MON both at Celtic and later (and limited) with AVFC has made an impact on his own management style/approach?

"Our conversation ended with Sutton noting that he does expect any other job he has in management to be harder than the one he has now - as an inexperienced manager, at a struggling club with little money."

"does not", surely?

Bottom line with Sutton and Pearce, one Grimsby Town revival and Lincoln City are relegated. I think irrelivancies like personalty, changing or not, have no baring on whether you can manage (which your throw-away last line hints at). Sutton has been at Sincil Bank long enough to have made a impression on the league table and he has failed to do so. The gamble is not just this season but for next also if he scrapes by. Whilst encouraging young managers is fine perhaps he should have cut his teeth lower down the scale first. This article was only written due to his "profile" you would have been better off going to Rochdale and talking to a real manager.

We have been struggling a lot but we don't have much money for players it's only cos of his contacts that we have decent players like Herd coming in. Fair point a Grimsby revival and where in trouble but atm I can't see that happening and where close to a fair few sides after the Chesterfield win. I think people are being a bit harsh on Sutton. Are managers not allowed any amount of time these days?

Well keep trying PF. I am suggesting that with 24 managers in L2 to profile the fact it was Sutton given the limited impact his tenure has had does suggest it played a bigger role than you admit to yourself. As new managers go Paul Peschisoldio (spelling) at Burton has a more impressive story to tell (admitidilly he has a "profile" of his own). Apols if you have done him.

Chris Sutton lost any respect he may been entitled to when he accused Dunfermline of cheating to allow Rangers to win the league in 2003.

I believe his comments were, "Dunfermline have lay down against Rangers, but we knew they would". Given Chris Sutton was playing for Celtic against Kilmarnock at the same time as the Rangers Dunfermline game I find it difficult to know how he could possibly judge the performance of the Dunfermline players?

Bitterness, maybe another trait he learnt from MON?

Distinctly remember seeing this game and applauded Sutton for his actions and goal. Arsenal were under pressure, doing nothing, had a player down whether injured or not. They chose to gain advantage and put the ball out of play. The sportsmanship bit would come under same action when an opposition player is "down"
How often do we see feigned injuries when looking for some advantage.
Well done Mr Sutton.

Having seen Chris Sutton a few times now at Sincil Bank I would say he was shy rather than surly. He never looks comfortable when making his way to the dug out.
I must admit that I was against his appointment at the time because I felt our football league status was too important for "brave decisions". If we get relegated I feel that will be the end - we won't get back into the football league for a long time. However, I dont agree that our football since his appointment is "agricultural" - we try and keep the ball on the ground and play properly. It is not his fault that we are toothless in attack because it was absolutely obvious in August with Peter Jackson's pre season signings of diminutive forwards that we would struggle to score. Furthremore, he has signed some quality loanees and the formation and performance against Chesterfield have given me hope.
If we can survive the forthcoming glut of rearranged fixtures without too many injuries, reintroduce Paul Connor without him succumbing to further injuries then I believe we will be fine. I am cautiously optimistic that CS will succeed and position us for push for promotion next season.
If not then the board will have a lot to answer for!

"He's best remembered up here in Scotland as someone lacking in grace". 60000 of us here in Scotland who were privileged to watch Chris Sutton can speak for ourselves thanks, ParSoup, and our view of CS is quite different. How typically magnanimous to carry your grudge against CS to the lengths of wishing Lincoln ill! As for NelsonRFC82, Sutton accused Dunfermline players(ParSoup's team I'd guess) of being unprofessional by not trying against Rangers - call that cheating if you like. MON, with 3 titles in five years, 3 trophies in his first season and a UEFA cup final, had no occasion to show bitterness during his time in Glasgow.

CS seems a perfect example of 'don't judge a book by its cover'. He has obviously fought for everything from early days at Norwich to idolitry at Celtic and hasn't been too fussed what people think about his actions or his manner. He's just kept on doing the best he can with the talent he's been given. Just because he doesn't smile at everybody or fill his interviews with platitudes doesn't mean he's not going to succeed, look at Sir Alex Ferguson.

From all the activity at Sincil Bank he seems to be maintaining this work ethic and I wouldn't bet against Lincoln finishing the season mid table. They've got two matches in hand, have had a good break because of the weather, played a great first half against Bolton in the FA Cup and continue to develop the squad.

Lets hope he can prevail because it would be so dull if money alone became the only determining factor between success and failure

A couple of weeks after the article was written and things have perked up a bit in Lincoln.
He has had time to bring in some players and instil how he wants to play. Defence is a bit more secure and we are playing a bit more football. The players he has recruited have a good first touch - noticably absent in many he inherited. We are still a bit fragile, but we look like a football team now.
Has this affected how he is percieved by fans? A good number had reserved judgement either way until Christmas, to give him time bed in and have an impact before heaping on abuse or praise. They are voicing cautious optimism. Others have been won over in the last few weeks by the marked improvement in performances.
There is a small core of anti-Sutton feeling which mainly stems from their anti-Board mentality. Their complaints include that his press interviews are too negative and that he doesn't sound interesting - the same people were complaining his predecessor was too optimistic to the press.
Overall I have been impressed with his preparation (spending a year looking at other clubs) and being prepared to start his career at Lincoln. Was a bit nervous he would expect too much from Lg2 players, but his solution was to get in better players - who'd have thought it.

As a rangers fan I never could stand Chris Sutton. But he was a very good at what he did, wind up defenders and score goals. Great in the air, very underrated.