Skubala: “I call it being a bit ruthless.”

Ahead of welcoming Fleetwood Town to the LNER Stadium on Saturday, a contented Michael Skubala discussed some of the components individually and as a team that brought a ten-man victory at Burton Albion.

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You can discuss what Michael Skubala has said ahead of this match here, and get involved with our Lincoln City v Fleetwood Town Match Thread!

Burton Albion: MS was really pleased with the performance and clean sheet on that day.

“We need to keep churning out performances like we did, with the mentality……to go and get wins”.

It was an ongoing effort to see the game out with tactical elements implemented after first getting to half-time (following the sending-off) and for the nine minutes of time added on at the end of the game. MS has prepared the team how to cope with being out of possession for long periods, whilst also impressing upon the team how their strength of transitioning with the ball could be effectively utilised to stay in the Burton final third for longer periods. A major factor was managing (key) moments within the game.

“I call it being a bit ruthless”.

Experienced Players In Evidence: MS mentioned several experienced players who had featured within the Burton game in different ways, but all sharing experience as a defining feature.
Adam Jackson has shown what a professional, calming leader he is on the pitch. He takes up such good, clever defensive positions – something that the coaches continue to work on improving even now, regardless of his experience.

Ben House brought quality to the side that showed what the team had been missing. Ben played more minutes than wanted, particularly on a heavy pitch, but it was a key moment when he was brought on. Ben has trained during the week although his load has been and will continue to be managed to avoid losing him to long term injury again.

It is apparent what a really good technical experienced player Conor McGrandles is. When Conor came on to sit in the centre of midfield it helped the Imps manage the game. It is impressive how CM goes about his work, the way he trains and his professionalism.

Conor was a first-choice January recruit, it just took longer to get him in than Joe Taylor. “I’m looking forward to working with him for a bit longer”.

Fleetwood Town: MS knows counterpart Charlie Adams well due to their U21 connections. Having won their last two games, Fleetwood have turned a corner and hit good form recently. It will be necessary to go after Fleetwood with a view to exploiting their weaknesses. Team structure without the ball remains good whilst the Imps are improving all the time at creating chances. MS is seeking to score goals now and get the result.

“It’s mostly looking after our performances, not worrying about what other teams are doing”.

In one piece of injury news, Jack Burroughs will be out for approximately four weeks having picked up an ankle injury when it wasn’t possible to substitute him during the Burton fixture.

Writer: hulloutpost

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