Michael Skubala has been Lincoln City manager for 365 days.
Honestly, it feels like a lifetime. The days of us struggling to attack and being happy with just being solid seem long in the distance. The Skubala effect feels like it was a natural continuation of Michael Appleton’s first season as if the two-and-a-half seasons after that were just a bit of a blur.
We’re a long way from the finished article, but at the time of writing, we sit fifth in League One, into the second round of the FA Cup and the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy. We have assets of our own, and if all our loan players were recalled tomorrow, the impact would be minimal.
In 2020/21, I felt we were in a good place, but that was a different playing field. That was with the wage cap in full effect, whereas this is us competing against big-spending teams who are allowed to spend. We had elite loan players like Rogers, Johnson and Palmer. It was a different game altogether.
It could be said that right now is the best shape we’ve been in ever, and in terms of competing at the highest level, the first time since 1982/83 that we’ve been a genuine promotion contender in the third tier under normal circumstances.
Of course, Michael isn’t responsible for all of that; we have a great board and senior management structure, good coaches and players, but the heart is Michael Skubala. The head coach dictates tactics, culture, and atmosphere and sets the bar for the players. Danny Cowley and Michael Appleton were great at discussing how they could create the environment, and then it was up to the players, and I feel we’re in a continuation of that. However, I do feel Michael is the best we’ve had at not only creating the right environment but making sure it works for the players.
All of that is the reason I like our head coach so much. Still, a club is only as good as its results. We can have the best coaches, the best setup and a great squad, but if we don’t get wins when the players cross the white line, then it’s all for nothing. When it comes to results, as things stand, Michael Skubala is one of our best coaches ever. Only Danny Cowley (53.98%) and Graham Taylor (45.97%) have a better win rate than Michael’s 44.44%.
To mark the occasion of Michael’s one year in charge, I wanted to pick out six of those results, comprising my favourite Skubala-era moments.
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