Well known for his playing career with both Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion, Michael Appleton was named manager of Lincoln City Football Club in September 2019, with the Imps having recently been promoted to Sky Bet League One.
Having begun his senior playing career with Manchester United, the Salford-born Appleton made a name for himself at Preston, where he was capped more than 100 times before making a move to West Brom. However, Appleton would soon move into coaching after an injury cut short his playing career.
His management career started with a caretaker spell in charge of the Baggies, before later serving in managerial roles at Portsmouth, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Oxford United. In 2017, he would take an assistant coaching position with Leicester City under manager Craig Shakespeare and served two games as Leicester’s caretaker manager following the dismissal of Shakespeare two months later and departed the club at the end of the season.
In February 2021, Appleton signed a new four-year deal to stay at the LNER Stadium as manager of the Imps.
Manager Michael Appleton
On Lincoln City’s 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers from the weekend:
“I would’ve taken a point before the game. The reason I say that is because I know how difficult it is to deal with [Wycombe Wanderers] style of play. Probably three or four weeks ago, we might have lost it. We might have caved in a little bit, but the players stood up to it manfully and deserve what they got.
“At times, I thought when we had to, and when we got the opportunity, we played some decent stuff. I thought Brooke Norton-Cuffy was outstanding today. We’ve seen a little bit of a glimpse of what he’s capable of actually.”
On the team showing fight and challenging for more second-balls:
“We have had all of that [against Wycombe Wanderers]. I want to see a little bit more composure at times. It’s so hard to ask a player whose biggest attribute is getting on the ball; he’s got soft feet; can see a pass – to go and be really competitive and fight and scrap, and then go back to his natural game within seconds, it’s difficult. Getting that balance right can be hard, at times.”
*****
Can't join us for the next game? Keep up with the action with iFollow Rovers
