Lincoln City

We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's eventful Championship match between Lincoln City and West Ham.

The Imps played most of the game with nine men after two early red cards and the Hammers punished them by scoring six.

Here are some of your comments:

Lincoln fans

Neil: Architect of their own downfall, enabled West Ham to take all three points without getting out of first gear.

Peter: Feeling nothing but pride for the nine warriors who stayed professional to the end of a very difficult evening. Clearly the game and result would have been very different but for two bad decisions by two good players. Some very positive performances by players, despite the result. Onwards and upwards, up the Imps.

Kieran: Although the result finished 6–0 against us, the score doesn't tell the full story of the effort, commitment and determination shown by the nine-man team. Every player gave it their all, continued to work hard for one another and never stopped trying, even when things became difficult.

As a new team in the league, we knew there would be challenges, and this game was a reminder of the steep learning curve we face. The pace, physicality and quality of opposition are all things we will continue to learn from as we gain more experience together.

Saying that, I would not have bet against Lincoln if it was 11 v 11.

There are plenty of lessons to take away from this match, and while the result is disappointing, there were positives in the attitude and determination shown by the lads. We will take these lessons on board, keep working hard in training and come back stronger.

Heads up, chests out, and on to the next one!

Image source, Shutterstock

West Ham fans

Nige: Very good. Took a while to break them down but a class above. A stroll for West Ham in the second half. Lincoln too pumped up, maybe hoping to intimidate the Iron. Impressed by a group of Lincoln fans who didn't stop singing. Too good for their team.

Richard: A strange game. Both teams were equal until 23 minutes when the Imps went down to nine men. After that it became a one-way street in which the Hammers couldn't be stopped from going forward and scoring goals almost at will. A six-goal win was probably a fair result even though the Imps were quite disciplined in defence.

The Hammers will need to improve their performance against the league leaders on Saturday if they want to get something from the game. A defeat will see them fall seven points off the top.

Dave: Yet another very poor first half, even against a nine-man team. Lincoln played well.

I just don't understand why we can't play in the first half - until we scored you would have thought we [were the team who] only had nine players.

It seems we have to wait for the second half and the substitutes before we start playing. He [boss Nuno] really needs to look at the team selection, the young Norwegian lad [Edvin Austbo] looks really good and quick, give him a start not coming off the bench.

Lincoln City joint head coach Tom Shaw spoke to BBC Radio Lincolnshire after their 6-0 home defeat by West Ham.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

West Ham United will be hoping they can regain their position in the automatic promotion places during the midweek games after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers on Friday saw them drop to third.

They visit Lincoln City for Wednesday's headline event (20:00 BST) with the Imps looking to cut off a two-match losing run.

• This will be the first league match between Lincoln City and West Ham United since December 1957, a 6-1 win for the Hammers.

• West Ham are unbeaten in seven meetings with Lincoln City in all competitions (W5 D2), most recently a 1-0 League Cup third round victory in September 2023.

• Lincoln have failed to win their opening four home games of a Football League season for the first time since 2004-05 (first 5).

• West Ham are looking to avoid defeat in their first five away league games of a season for the fourth time in the 21st century, after 2011-12 (Championship), 2015-16 (Premier League) and 2021-22 (Premier League).

• West Ham have won each of their last five league games against newly promoted opponents, including a 3-2 win at Bolton already this season.

Lincoln City joint head coach Chris Cohen spoke to BBC Radio Lincolnshire after Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

"I thought for 35 minutes it was the game that we probably wanted. We had a decent chance with Fred, but weren't quite able to put it on target," he said.

"And then the timing of the goals today, and the quality of the goals were real sucker punches.

"It ended up being a tough day, although statistically I think it will look really even, it was a tough last half an hour."

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United are celebrating winning both the Championship's manager and player of the month awards for September.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo oversaw an unbeaten run last month which produced four wins from their five league games in which they scored 18 goals.

Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos had a prolific September for the Hammers, scoring four goals while also helping them keep two clean sheets as they moved up to second place in the table.

"I am delighted to win this award, but it was an excellent team effort this month," said Mavropanos.

"We had some good results, went on a good run, and obviously this award means that we are doing something good with the team.

"I am the one who has been given the award this time, but it could have been any of my team-mates, and I am just really happy that we are in a good way right now."

Lincoln head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos and Mark Robins of Stoke City were also nominated for the manager award.

Image source, Opta

Chris Wilder will seek to avoid unwanted history as his Sheffield United side welcome Lincoln City to Bramall Lane on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Blades have won two of their opening eight Championship games to sit 18th, just four points above the relegation zone.

Newly-promoted Lincoln are two points and six places better off and could climb into the top-six with a win, coupled with favourable results elsewhere.

• This is the first league meeting between Sheffield United and Lincoln City since the 1983-84 campaign, with the Blades unbeaten in both meetings (W1 D1).

• In all competitions, Lincoln City and Sheffield United last met in the League Cup second round in 2023-24 – after a 0-0 draw, the Imps went through 3-2 on penalties.

• Sheffield United have lost six of their past 11 home league games (W2 D3), including the last two. Outside of the Premier League, the Blades have never lost three in a row at Bramall Lane under Chris Wilder.

• Lincoln have won 11 of their past 14 away league matches (D2 L1), with nine of those wins coming alongside a clean sheet, including the last three, all 1-0 wins. The only two newly promoted sides in Football League history to win four away games in a row without conceding are MK Dons in 2008-09 and Burton in 2015-16, both in League One.

• Sheffield United have given the most minutes (5,456) and starts (61) to English players in the Championship this season, while Lincoln rank third for both (4,436 minutes and 50 starts).

Image source, Getty Images

Lincoln City head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos, Mark Robins of Stoke City and West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo have been nominated for September's Championship manager of the month award.

Cohen and Shaw oversaw a run of eight points from five games for newly-promoted Lincoln last month, including away wins at Preston and Bristol City.

Matos won August's award and is in the running again as Swansea took 10 points in September to move to the top of the Championship table.

Stoke City recovered from losing their opening three games of the season under Robins to go unbeaten last month with four wins from their five outings and move up to seventh place.

West Ham boss Nuno's side rattled in 18 goals in their five matches in September with only Millwall preventing them from taking three points in a 2-2 draw at The Den.

The winner will be announced at 06:00 BST on Friday, 9 October.

Image source, Shutterstock

Lincoln City midfielder Ivan Varfolomeev has made his international debut for Ukraine during their 2-1 loss to Hungary in the Nations League on Monday.

The 22-year-old came off the bench in the 86th minute.

His maiden appearance follows his first international call-up, however he remained on the bench for the side's match against Northern Ireland on Friday.

Lincoln will be back in action on Saturday against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Lincoln City's head of medical Kieran Walker and head of performance Josh Snowden sit down with BBC Radio Lincolnshire to talk health and fitness at the Imps.

As part of the discussion, Walker gives an update on captain Tendayi Darikwa who had his his season ended by a knee injury in late August.

The defender has come through surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and is in the first weeks of recovery at home.

You can hear more about how the medical and performance team are working with Darikwa and the wider team by hitting the play button above.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Red Imps Club podcast is out now.

Lincoln City fans join the show to discuss other supporters' criticism, away games and late former Imps boss Keith Alexander.

Listen above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

And don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Lincoln City news.

Image source, Getty Images

Lincoln City head coach Chris Cohen has claimed midfielder Ivan Varfolomeev "epitomises" the club after earning his first senior international call-up.

The 22-year-old will have the chance to represent Ukraine in their Nations League campaign during the international break.

Varfolomeev was a key component of Lincoln's promotion-winning squad and has made five Championship starts this term.

"It's just so deserved," Cohen said.

"There isn't a player that epitomises Lincoln City much more than Ivan does in terms of work ethic, desire to win, desire be the best he can be every single day, so it's lovely when players of that type get the rewards that sometimes they don't."

Winger Chiedozie Ogbene will join Varfolomeev on international duty after being called up by the Republic of Ireland.

The Lagos-born 29-year-old already has 35 caps to his name and will join the squad in their trip to Kosovo in the group stages of the Nations League on Thursday, 24 September.

In other team news, defenders Callum Elder and Tom Hamer are "close" to returns but are not confirmed to make the squad for the game against Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Listen to the full interview from Cohen and defender Deji Elerewe below or on BBC Sounds here.

After starting their return to the Championship with two successive defeats, Lincoln City take a five-game unbeaten run into their home meeting with Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Imps have also kept four clean sheets in those five matches but Swansea did put three past struggling Burnley last weekend.

• This will be the first league meeting between Lincoln City and Swansea City since April 2005, when the Imps won 1-0 in League Two.

• Swansea have lost 10 of their past 12 away league games at Lincoln City (W1 D1), including all four in the 21st Century.

• Lincoln City have won each of their past two league games, both 1-0 against Preston and Bristol City; the last newly promoted side to win three successive Championship games without conceding was Hull City in January 2022.

• Although Swansea have only lost one of their past 10 league matches (W6 D3), that was their last away game, a 1-3 defeat at Southampton.

• Swansea lead the Championship this season in high turnovers (65) and shot ending high turnovers (14), while only Norwich (103) have recorded more pressed sequences than the Swans (102).

Image source, Shutterstock

Lincoln City midfielder Ivan Varfolomeev has earned his first call-up to the Ukraine senior squad for the country's Nations League group matches in September and October.

The 22-year-old is making the step up after regular appearances across Ukraine's youth levels.

Ukraine are in the same group as Hungary, Georgia and Northern Ireland, with their first match against the Hungarians on Friday, 25 September.

Meanwhile, BBC Radio Humberside say that former Grimsby assistant head coach Shaun Pearson has joined Lincoln's backroom staff.

He left the Mariners last month and is set to be named as a first-team coach for the Imps.

Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by former Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town defender Luke Chambers to chat all things EFL in the latest episode of the 72+.

What next for Preston after they sacked Paul Heckingbottom? How far can Lincoln go after a strong start to the season?

Saturday sees Millwall face West Ham for the first time since 2012 and Lions defender Caleb Taylor joins the pod to talk their London derby.

Shrewsbury look set to be the latest EFL club with American owners as BBC Radio Shropshire's Nick Southall explains how Brad Friedel is involved.

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.