Checkacheek

By Gemma Bell

​Well I'll be damned... Chelsea are coming to Sincil Bank. The 'development' squad of my other club are coming here. I guess I'm one of those two team (insert crude word) ... and I should be of mixed emotions right? Wrong.

I'm fully backing Lincoln. I'm not afraid to say that and whilst I'm neither for nor against the boycott (of which none of us can speak about without weeks of debate) I would love to elaborate on my thoughts on why everyone up and down the country with a love for the game should be rooting for the Imps and it's really not boycott related.

Early on in the week Chelsea's senior team took on Arsenal in the League Cup losing 2-1. During the game Willian was injured and Conte only had Ross Barkley to bring to the field of play from a drab bench. He was a controversial signing, having saved 20mil in the January sales, bagging him for a sweet 15mil. So here he is centre of attention being shoved on to the pitch alongside some of the best players the Premier League has to offer. On he goes and whilst I wholeheartedly agree he is lacking in performance he needs time on the ball, game time! With that and guidance I think he may well be a fantastic player. Now maybe it's the grassroots in me or maybe it's that I'm a human being but I, a 31 year Chelsea supporter, almost broke my TV listening to Conte slam him after the game. He spoke like he was dealt a really bad hand having to play him. Like he had just been told Pete from division six Sunday side Red Lion was coming in as his new midfielder.

Now I have a real problem with the interview for one reason. Player development and duty of care. Imagine what that has done to Barkley! Imagine what his mind set is in the days after? So what does this have to do with Checkatrade? Well for starters we have a manager to be proud of. And if Conte at the top thinks that this is acceptable ,what happens lower down? I tweeted earlier this week about my disgust for Conte and admiration for Cowley. Would you ever hear Danny talk that way? No ... No way would the King of Sincil Bank allow that dark and detrimental mind set to creep it's way in. Danny and Nicky have their priorities straight and that priority of a good mind set is what makes Lincoln City FC great contenders to reach Wembley. It's what wins us games.

Not only could we reach Wembley but we could win . So let's be positive, just like Danny and Nicky. Let's go into the game with a positive mind set, get behind the team and sing loud and proud.  #UTMI