Hope always springs eternal when a new manager is unveiled and Lincoln City fans will be hoping that new boss Michael Skubala can deliver promotion to the Championship. Fortunately for the Imps, they have a manager who has learned invaluable lessons on his way to the hot seat at the LNER Stadium which will stand him in good stead in League One.
The road less travelled
Skubala’s journey to first-team management has been unusual in terms of the normal route taken to the dugout with the 41-year-old previously working as a PE teacher, university trainer, futsal coach, FA employee, adviser to UEFA, and most recently, u21 academy manager at Leeds United.
Despite having such a unique and extensive CV, it is Skubala’s time at Elland Road during Leeds’ turbulent relegation as told by Sky News that would have taught him the most.
Indeed, having worked alongside Jesse Marsch as seen in this BBC article, as well as Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce in Leeds’ doomed campaign, there isn’t a man in football who would have learned more about the benefits and drawbacks of such contrasting styles.
Balancing a fast start with an eye-catching style
Skubala was asked about this during his first interview with the Imps’ in-house media after being appointed and said that while it is his ultimate goal to have a team that plays on the front foot, he will use what he saw at Leeds when it was purely results-oriented while under the threat of relegation to deliver wins in the interim.
It was a telling response as it suggests that fans might see a more pragmatic start to life under Skubala at the LNER Stadium.
The 41-year-old also called for patience as the players get up to speed with his ideas which indicates that where possible, he will try and implement the attacking philosophy he was renowned for as Leeds u21 boss when the centre-backs would push up beyond the halfway line as the team went forward.
Admittedly, it is a fine balancing act when coming in mid-season as any manager has to consider both short-term objectives and long-term goals. Essentially, while the Imps are within touching distance of the playoffs, the likelihood is that there might be more focus on substance over style.
Skubala’s adaptability will assist Imps in playoff push
This adaptable quality is what made Skubala stand out in the interview process and is the trait that the club’s hierarchy will be banking on over Christmas as the Imps try and salvage the season after the sacking of Mark Kennedy. As for the possibility of Skubala going one better than steadying the ship and delivering promotion, the latest odds suggest it is unlikely.
For example, online betting site Betway has priced City at 100/1 to go up as of the 12th of December. With just five points separating the Imps from sixth place as of the same date, some might argue that those odds underestimate Skubala’s acumen in the dugout.
To that end, eight points from a possible 15 from Skubala’s first five matches in charge represents a decent return with the standout performance coming during a 3-0 win over Cambridge United.
Of course, not having a pre-season to implement his ideas might count against Skubala in the end but whichever way the 2023/2024 goes, the positive is that the players at the club will improve under the new City boss.
Players will improve regardless of how the season pans out
This is another one of the key reasons why Skubala was hired as his proven track record of developing less-experienced players means that this current campaign will still be a productive one irrespective of where the club finishes in late April.
Again, it’s worth looking back at Skubala’s time at Leeds and the players that he nurtured during his spell to get a better idea of the outstanding work Lincoln can expect.
Indeed, Crysencio Summerville, Charlie Cresswell, Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, and Archie Gray all progressed to the first team following time spent under Skubala’s management.
Delving a bit deeper, Summerville’s trajectory has been extraordinary since his time in Skubala’s academy side: the Dutchman’s 13 goal contributions and 36 chances created in October was the most of any player in the top four tiers in the Engish Football League.
Gray, meanwhile, has Europe’s biggest clubs lining up to prize him away from Leeds after breaking through this season. The world is certainly at the pair’s feet but the wider point is that these two players may not be where they are today if it weren’t for Skubala’s influence at a crucial time in their respective careers.
Encouragingly for the City faithful, Skubala has already identified Dylan Duffy and TJ Eyoma as players that he sees a bright future for. This is certainly a situation to watch closely.
The sensible appointment to take City forward
Having witnessed a crash course in crisis management at Leeds, observed markedly different philosophies, and had a hand in producing some of Europe’s emerging stars, there is no manager more qualified than Skubala to step into the dugout at the LNER Stadium to help take the club forward.
Image from: unsplash.com
