Lincoln City’s opening weeks have offered both reassurance and anticipation, leaving the Imps balanced between consolidation and progress as the transfer window ticks towards its close.
The bare bones of last season remain in place, but there are clear signals that reinforcements could push Michael Skubala’s side onto another level.
When the fixtures landed in June, Reading and Plymouth were seen as challenging opening opponents. Reading may have endured a turbulent year, but they remain a sizeable club with backing now in place. Plymouth arrived at the Bank freshly relegated, still carrying plenty of Championship quality. To have taken six points from those two matches is a significant statement.
The squad is, in many respects, still a continuation of last season’s group. Ryley Towler has been pressed into action at left-back, a role outside his natural remit, while Sonny Bradley represents the only new face who is currently playing in his favoured position.
Beyond that, it is familiar names carrying the burden, yet there is strength in that continuity. Players such as Conor McGrandles, Tom Bayliss, Reeco Hackett, James Collins, and Tendayi Darikwa have accumulated valuable shared minutes. The understanding was evident against Plymouth, where City functioned like a cohesive unit rather than a collection of new arrivals.
McGrandles in particular has emerged as a vital cog. Moving onto 150 appearances, he is beginning to feel like the type of player supporters will one day look back on as a true stalwart, someone perhaps underappreciated in the moment but fundamental to the team’s rhythm.
If the personnel are largely unchanged, the tactical emphasis has shown a blend of old and new. Out of possession, City remain organised, pressing with intensity and refusing to give opponents easy territory. That aspect of the game rarely excites a crowd, but it lays the platform for success.
The next step has been to add attacking incision. Last season’s late surge under Skubala in 2023/24 demonstrated how effective we could be when combining solidity with flair, sweeping past sides such as Barnsley, Cambridge, and Bristol Rovers. This campaign has seen that spirit carried forward. The goals continue to come, even if the back line still shows moments of vulnerability, as seen in the closing stages against Plymouth.
The squad remains incomplete, however. Supporters are well aware of the need for fresh additions, and the coming fortnight will be decisive. At present, City resemble a new house with all the structure and wiring in place, habitable but requiring the furniture and final touches. We are also without a heartbeat, perhaps the boiler that keeps the house warm and functioning.
That role may yet be filled by Ivan Varfolomeyev, the Ukrainian midfielder currently linked with a move to Sincil Bank. Reports suggest a significant outlay, potentially a club-record fee, to secure his services from the Czech top flight. He would not be a headline-grabbing flair player but rather the type of disciplined, functional midfielder who provides balance and tempo.
Alongside him, Frankie Okoronkwo has arrived in the last 24 hours. The Everton forward, who spent last season on loan at Salford, represents attacking depth rather than a replacement for Collins or Hackett. With the Imps covering vast ground through their pressing game, options will be required to keep energy levels high during busy schedules.
A specialist left-back is also a priority, and perhaps one more attacking option could follow. Three further arrivals in total remain a possibility, but even two or three of the right profile would transform the complexion of the side.
The 2–0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon stands as an outlier, played a man down and with the handicap of a penalty conceded. The other results point towards resilience and growth. Plymouth’s late rally at the weekend tested City’s nerve to the limit. A controversial penalty decision and a lengthy spell of added time created the perfect storm for a collapse.
Instead, the Imps clung on, demonstrating the character that has been built within this tight-knit group. Some may see going from 3-0 to 3-2 as a sign of weakness, and it is, but to then stem the flow and hold on for 3-2 does, in my mind, underline a degree of resilience that we should be proud of.
Reading and Plymouth may currently sit near the bottom of the table, but they will not remain there. Both possess the resources and pedigree to recover, meaning those early six points carry real weight. They are precisely the fixtures supporters might have accepted a draw from, only to see the Imps convert into victory.
Much now rests on the closing days of the window. The club are not immune from the noise of social media chatter, where opinions veer between pessimism and blind optimism. The majority of fans, however, sit in the middle; open to persuasion, waiting to see if the club’s words are matched by deeds.
Two weeks from now, the squad will look different. Reinforcements are coming, and if they are the right reinforcements, the cautious optimism of August could harden into belief. Lincoln’s model of selling smartly and reinvesting wisely will be tested, but the early signs point to a club ready to keep progressing.
The embryonic stage of a season is always unpredictable. Yet with solid early points on the board, a team that clearly trusts one another, and the promise of quality additions to follow, the Imps appear better placed than ever to seize the momentum. What looked like a crossroads may in fact be the start of an upward journey.
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