I must admit that I’m tremendously annoyed that we haven’t achieved automatic promotion this year. The squad is certainly good enough to finish in the Top 3, the fact we’ve taken 4 points off of both of the top 2 sides (denied the full 6 by last minute goals) says it all about how good this side can be. It was that game against Hereford at Sincil Bank that changed the season. In the months leading up to that we hadn’t been playing anywhere near that potential, but we were still picking up a fair few points, but since that Hereford game it’s been completely different and our form is that of a side struggling against relegation.

In the last few months we’ve dropped points against some very mediocre sides. We’ve been beating by Rochdale, Macclesfield, Wrexham and Mansfield, whilst only securing draws against Accrington, Darlington, Bury, it’s almost like a who’s who of this division’s average sides. We’ve won just 4 times in this calendar year, and all four were narrow victories, the only thing rarer than an Imps victory in 2007, is a good performance from City in that time. The only decent performance this calendar year has been the away game has been the game at Hartlepool, a performance we were replicating time after time earlier this season.

So 45 games after the Imps took to the field against Notts County, we finally arrive at the 46^th and final game of the regular season and we’re left with one major question. In 23 days (from the time of writing) will we all be celebrating the Imps finally winning promotion, or will we be searching Dagenham and Redbridge’s website to find their address for the sat-nav ahead of next season. In just over 3 weeks will we be planning trips to Elland Road, the City Ground and the Galpharm, or will we be “looking forward” the delights of Underhill, Frazer Eagle and Saltergate?

One thing that is imperative in this year’s playoffs is that we are at home in the second leg, something that would be a first for City in the end-of-season-lottery. City would need a victory to definitely finish 5^th and therefore secure that 2^nd leg at home.

For this vital game the management MUST start with the strongest side available to them, but that seems unlikely to happen as they seem determined to constantly play players who are always out of form. Fortunately the defence has found it’s feet recently, so there would be no point in changing the back 4. The defence will more than likely be Eaden on the right, with Paul’s Morgan, Mayo and Green to his left.

The midfield is a key issue this week with the strong possibility that Frecklington could make his first start in month. If that does turn out to be the case then it is likely that Mendes will be dropped in order to go back to the 4-4-2 system. If Freck does start then he will more than likely be with Hughes, Kerr and Beevers the other midfield men. They will more than likely be behind Forrester and Stallard as the 30+ goal strike force hope to end a goal drought has seen neither score in a over a month.

The name that automatically comes to your attention when you look at Chester’s line up is Simon Yeo. The striker played for the Imps between 2002 and 2006, with just a 6 month gap due to his trip to New Zealand. In that majority of his time at Sincil Bank he was incredibly average to say the least. Infact if you ignore January-March 2005 then you realise just what a generally poor games:goals ratio and if it hadn’t been for THAT goal against Torquay then it is highly unlikely he would have become a cult hero a Sincil Bank.

It is another former Imp that is responsible for Chester being in the League. Without Derek Asamoah suddenly turning into a striker that wasn’t completely inept, Chester would have been relegated by a country mile last season. Kevin Sandwith is another former Imp that is at the Saunder’s Honda Stadium, setting up the third goal for Chester when the Blues beat City 4-1 earlier this season.

Other than that, the only other name that would sound familiar to City fans is Lee Steele, he scored a hat-trick at Sincil Bank for Leyton Orient in 2004/5, one of 3 strikers that have come to Sincil Bank and scored a hat-trick.

City will make the playoffs unless just 2 of the 75 possible cominations of results occur.