Football League World
·29 de octubre de 2024
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·29 de octubre de 2024
JJ McKiernan has found game time hard to come by since moving to Sincil bank during the off-season
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Lincoln City got back to winning ways at the weekend, as they came from a goal behind to see off Stockport County 2-1 at Sincil Bank.
The Imps had failed to pick up a point from the two matches before Saturday’s action, with Michael Skubala’s side going down to Birmingham City and Crawley Town in the week preceding the visit of the Hatters.
Success keeps City within touching distance of the leading pack heading into November, with eyes on the top six after a promising start to the campaign.
With the whole side performing so well, Skubala hasn’t needed to rotate his squad all that much, with City among the sides to use the fewest amount of players in the division to date, with just 23 used from their 12 league matches so far.
With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s resident Imps fan Gary Hutchinson about which player should be starting more matches for his side as the season progresses.
Since moving from Morecambe over the summer, JJ McKiernan has just two starts for Lincoln City so far this season, with a further six appearances from the substitutes’ bench to his name.
Since making the starting lineup in City’s first two League One matches of the campaign, the 22-year-old has had to bide his time in earning a recall to Skubala’s plans, with Dom Jeffries performing well in his place.
The former Eastleigh man hasn’t seemed to have lost heart from the decision to knock him down the pecking order, with his performances off the bench helping his side earn points when needed, as he creates plenty of problems for the opposition during his time on the field.
Having been an unused substitute in the victory at the weekend, Hutchinson believes the former Watford trainee can feel hard done by due to his position in the squad at this moment in time.
When asked which player deserves to be playing more, the Imps fan said: “There is a player not currently starting games for the club who should perhaps be involved - maybe not starting - and that is JJ McKiernan.
“So we signed JJ McKiernan from Morecambe over the summer, and he has done well for Ireland under-21s, I think he has looked good in his cameos when he has come on as well.
“He has looked quite dangerous; he changed the game against Blackpool when we were 1-0 down, as part of a double substitution.
“So I would like to see him involved more, but the real problem with our squad at the moment is that we have got a lot of good players.”
City look to be without star man Ethan Erhahon for the foreseeable future after the weekend’s victory, with the Scot [pictured] having to be replaced in just the 14th minute at Sincil Bank on Saturday.
It is unclear how long the former St Mirren man will be out for at time of writing, but with the games coming thick and fast in League One in the buildup to the Festive period, Hutchinson believes the 23-year-old’s setback could pave the way for more inclusion for McKiernan.
The City fan continued: “We have got 23, 24 players in the first-team squad - although there are injuries to take off that - but almost every single one of those players could play football for us.
“JJ McKiernan is just going to have to be patient and wait his turn, but with the injury to Ethan Erhahon for tomorrow night’s game against Northampton Town, it is potentially a time where McKiernan could come on - even if it is late on - and stake a claim.”
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