Linnets boss making his mark

Your Local Paper columnist Mark Hearle reflects on an eventful year for Linnets manager Adam Lakeland in his weekly column.I’m sure Adam Lakeland would have enjoyed his Christmas lunch last year but I cannot think it will be tasting even better this time around for the Linnets boss as he completes his first full calendar year of being in The Walks hot seat.Twelve months ago, and only a couple or so months into the job, things were looking rather bleak for the man entrusted by chairman Stephen Cleeve to turn Lynn’s season around following Mark Hughes’ short stint at the helm.At that stage, Lakeland’s team were still unable to put together a run of positive results that would have seen them move clear of the National League North relegation zone they were entrenched in.Boston achieved a holiday double over the old foe a year ago and indeed Lynn didn’t win another league game until February – a 2-1 victory at Gloucester City.As it turned out that result was to prove to be the catalyst for the Linnets who then embarked upon a run of games where they collected both wins and draws and ended up being more or less safe from the threat of relegation with a couple of matches to spare.This season to date the club’s focus has been towards the top of the table enjoying a good amount of success in the league, which has left them only a win shy of the league’s top spot. It is quite a remarkable turnaround of fortune for the club. Lakeland and his assistant Sam Walker’s part in that should not be understated in any way. On the pair’s arrival, the club was going nowhere fast. The team were shipping goals at an alarming rate, games being lost far too regularly with attendances suffering as a result.Slowly but surely the tide was stemmed, results and performances improved and the club maintained its position playing step two football.Some astute signings and clever use of the loan market by Lakeland ensured Lynn would be lining up again in National League North come August and, in truth, apart from a couple of short bad runs of form, the team now has no resemblance to the one that he took on in October 2023. It would be fair to say though that Lakeland’s job is still very much a work in progress and I think the man himself would be amongst the first to admit that.Firstly Lynn will need to cement their place within the play-offs over the coming weeks if they are unable to secure the one automatic promotion place. To think that the club is now looking in an upwards direction as opposed to a downwards one is a sign of progress in itself. And then of course the squad will need further strengthening if a return to the full National League is achieved, although I’m sure many will be saying let’s get to that position first and worry about it later.It has been a hard slog for Lakeland to get his team to the position they find themselves in and it took a few months for the results to flow. It would have been easy for Mr Cleeve to shuffle his pack and consider his manager’s future last January. That he didn’t is a huge credit to the chairman for sticking to his principles and supporting his man.As things stand that decision has been fully vindicated to date.Lakeland comes across as a man who refuses to rest on his laurels and accepts any praise for his efforts rather reluctantly.As I said, there is much work still to do but to date, the transformation of the team’s fortunes in 2024 falls into the remarkable category. With the Linnets in such fine form at present the club does deserve a bumper turnout of supporters on Thursday afternoon when lowly Needham Market visit The Walks for the traditional Boxing Day fixture.A fine win at Brackley was followed up by a 1-1 draw at Chester on Saturday, meaning that another four valuable points had been collected and safely stored away for season’s end.To go away to clubs that you’re well aware will be there or thereabouts come May and gain points is good not only for the obvious but also for confidence and it set’s down a marker for the business end of the season as well as sending a message to those rivals in and around you.Lynn has come across a formula at the moment which has made them very difficult to score against and when you’re keeping clean sheets on a regular basis you will continue collecting points and gaining league places in equal measure. Taking all of those things into consideration a crowd of around the 1,400 mark shouldn’t be out of the question come Thursday afternoon, the team do deserve that at least for all of their recent efforts.I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a happy holiday season.