Michael Skubala passed the 100-match barrier this weekend, ten games into the League One season.

Interestingly, while Mark Kennedy was sacked in mid-October, his side had played just 11 League One matches when he went, which gives us a great starting place for a comparison. Given that we’d also had a League Cup run, hosted a Premier League team, and played in the EFL Trophy, it is a fair comparison.

When the new man came in, I remember going away to Stevenage, getting really drunk and suggesting nothing had changed. Obviously, after one game with the old manager’s players, nothing would, but that is the devil of drink for you. Now, ten games into the new season and 100 games into Skubala’s reign, I think it is fair to draw a few comparisons.

How does the start of the 2023/24 season compare with the start of the 2025/26 season, in terms of stats? I’m comparing just League One fixtures, as EFL Trophy games probably skew the numbers a bit, as do those West Ham and Chelsea fixtures.

If you want the long version, read on. If you want just the headline takeaways, I have summarised on page two for you.

Catering to all tastes.

Skubala vs Kennedy: How City’s Style Has Shifted

Michael Skubala’s last ten matches reveal a City side that has become sharper at both ends of the pitch. His team are scoring more goals and conceding fewer than Mark Kennedy’s did in their equivalent spell, with averages of 1.7 goals for and 0.9 against compared to 1.27 and 1.09 respectively.

Possession has edged upwards to around 46%, but total passes per game are lower, dropping from Kennedy’s average of 355 to 269 under Skubala, suggesting a shift towards quicker and more vertical football.

The pressing metrics are also clear, with PPDA down from around 15 to just over 12, reflecting a more assertive defensive approach.

What stands out is that the underlying expected goals remain similar, yet we are turning those numbers into better outcomes through efficiency in both penalty areas.

Tactical/read of the numbers

Out of possession

The most striking defensive change is in how we apply pressure. The lower PPDA figure highlights more frequent engagement and a higher press. Skubala’s side are contesting midfield space rather than allowing opponents to advance, and that is borne out by the volume of interceptions and defensive duels recorded in recent games.

Opponents continue to see plenty of the ball, but they are forced further away from the danger zones, with far less freedom in central areas. The result is that goals conceded have dipped despite opposition xG not falling dramatically, evidence of a side better at contesting the box and preventing clear chances.

In possession

With fewer passes attempted despite slightly higher possession, the Imps’ football under Skubala looks more direct. The team are progressing the ball forward quickly rather than building long spells of circulation. Forward passes and final-third entries are frequent, even if the completion rates are lower, showing a willingness to risk losing the ball in exchange for advancing play.

Counter-attacking has also become a stronger weapon. Several of the recent wins featured quick transitions leading to shots, the kind of moments that come from winning the ball higher and moving at pace. Set pieces remain a key source of chances too, with regular opportunities created from corners and free-kicks supplementing open-play threat.

Chance creation and finishing

What has really separated Skubala’s side is the way they have converted their opportunities. With expected goals remaining almost identical to Kennedy’s team, the increase in scoring highlights sharper finishing and improved shot selection. More efforts are coming from central areas or transition situations, which naturally carry a higher probability.

Penalty-area touches and entries have been strong in recent matches, indicating that we are not reliant on long-range strikes but are consistently working the ball into dangerous areas. It is a clear case of quality over quantity, with fewer shots required to achieve better outcomes.

Duels and aerials

Physical contests have underpinned the tactical shift. The Skubala sample shows strong win rates in both defensive and aerial duels, providing a platform for transition play. We have competed effectively for first and second balls, allowing them to sustain pressure and launch fast attacks from regained possession.

This robustness in one-on-one situations has helped the team both to resist pressure and to turn defensive moments into attacking opportunities more frequently than in the Kennedy era.

What it means stylistically

Kennedy’s Lincoln tended to sit deeper, allowing opponents to complete a high volume of passes and accepting longer defensive phases. His side looked to contain and then spring forward, but struggled for consistency at both ends.

By contrast, Skubala has injected pace and purpose. Possession may not have grown dramatically, but the way it is used has changed entirely: fewer passes, quicker progression, and more direct routes into the final third. Out of possession, the press is more assertive, and in both boxes, the team has become more effective.

The overall picture is of a side that is quicker, bolder, and more efficient, with an identity that makes the most of transition moments and sharper decision-making in front of the goal.

Set Pieces

One element of Skubala’s reign that Wyscout find it harder to track is set pieces, both defending and attacking. WhoScored does not, and the stats here make really interesting reading. In 2022/23, Mark Kennedy’s first season in charge, we scored just nine times from set pieces, the 21st-lowest in the division. Only Forest Green and Cheltenham, both relegated, scored fewer. We conceded seven, so we were still resolute.

Taking Skubala’s first full season, we scored 30, by far the best in the division, and conceded 12, with only four teams conceding fewer. It’s interesting that six teams conceded single-digit set-piece goals in 2022/23, but the focus for attacking teams shifts, and only two were single-digit last season, Huddersfield and Wrexham.

This season, ten games in, we’ve already scored five: Stevenage (7), Mansfield and Plymouth (6) have scored more. We have conceded three, leaving us in the middle of the pack.

However, there has definitely been a tightening of our attacking prowess from set pieces, but we did concede more last season than under MK.

Conclusion

It would be unfair to pile onto a manager whose record might not have been great, but it certainly wasn’t bad. Mark Kennedy actually had a lower lose percentage than Michael Skubala has, which is worth noting if I’m being fair.

However, when it comes to entertainment, we were desperately lacking in those final few weeks, even the big 3-0 wins against Wycombe and Blackpool were less one-sided than the scoreline suggested. Now, as Michael has moulded his squad over 100 games, we’re a different beast.

It’s easy to sit on the back of a great unbeaten run like ours, with scalps such as Luton, Plymouth and Peterborough recently taken and be glib, but we have changed, and we are in a better place than two years ago. That’s credit to a lot of people across the team, but the direction comes from the head coach.

I think it’s fair to say it’s been an impressive century of matches for Michael Skubala.