Ahead of the weekend trip to Reading, Michael Skubala reflected on the Imp’s great run of form and some of the elements that have driven that.
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You can discuss what Michael Skubala has said ahead of this match here, and get involved with our pre-match discussion!
The Unbeaten Run and the Environment Behind That: MS sees himself as a realist so whilst he always thought the players were capable of getting results, the challenge for any team is consistency. For such a young group to produce that is phenomenal. What has gone before has to be ‘parked’ now and cliches notwithstanding, getting too far ahead has to be avoided.
“Just making sure we perform in the next game and the next challenge”.
MS still fully expects every team involved in the play-off chase to experience ‘twists in the road’ combined with ups and downs; it’s about keeping calm and dealing with those. MS didn’t dwell on the injuries which the Imps have had to contend with throughout the season, every side has them.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to get through it, find a way to win”
A notable feature of the good results is how brilliantly the squad have been when called upon, for example, to play out of position or cover for injuries. Everyone has stepped up which in turn creates competition and develops a healthy training environment.
The players know what is expected and required from them; they also know if they are playing to the levels they are capable of. There is a passion from them to do well, push and keep improving.
There is pace and power in the front line, quality throughout the team with the ability to defend well. “We’re starting to grow into a team that can hurt ‘you’ in different ways, and finding a way to win”.
The Impact of the Loan Players: Joe Taylor produced a great finish (Carlisle) and is doing things now that he wasn’t doing when he first arrived – getting chances and goals as his reward. JT is performing better, working harder in moments when he is needed to and is growing into an all-round talent. That is how it should be; that is why he came to us. His job is to ‘effect’ Lincoln and make the team better, whilst MS job is to help the player improve for Luton. That relationship is going really well and JT is a great character to have around the building. That is true of all the loan players with the due diligence of the recruitment team to bring in the correct players being very commendable. All of the loan players are connected to the club, and that is all you want from a loan player.
“They care about winning for Lincoln City”.
Lukas Jensen Injury: Lukas has had an injection for a back injury, he remains a doubt for the weekend but the good news is that the knock does not appear to be long-term. Even so, MS has full faith in Jordan Wright.
“Jordan was fantastic (Carlisle game). He made some big saves for us, so if Lukas is not ready then Jordan is definitely ready and more than capable of stepping up and doing the job for us”.
Reading: MS expects opponents to make changes in order to find solutions to the Imp’s run of successes. In some ways that can make things harder but if the side stick to the principles they are ‘about’ and perform to the levels they are capable of that makes the Imps a tough team to play against.
Financial problems aside, Reading remain a big club with good players that can really hurt the opposition. Along with Wigan, there is an element of being in a false league position due to the points deductions and The Royals were really ‘on it’, putting in a phenomenal performance on the day during the corresponding fixture at The LNER Stadium.
Reading will think there are weaknesses they can exploit, but MS also sees that in their make-up.
“I think we’re in a very different place now than we were then, and the way we’re playing is stronger”
Writer: hulloutpost
Skubala: "Sometimes you've just got to find a way to get through it, find a way to win."https://t.co/IBBEuuChLs#ReadingFC #WeAreImps
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) April 5, 2024
