Michael Skubala gave a typically pragmatic interview yesterday as City face up to a game that could go a long way towards deciding the League One winners for 2025/26.
One point sits between Cardiff City, top of the table, and us in second. In third, Bolton want to reel one of us in, and yet their trip to Wycombe is not a gimme on their quest to change that 10-point swing.
3,000 Lincoln City fans have bought into the trip, the Sky cameras will be there, but for Michael Skubala, nothing changes. When asked in his pre-match press conference how they go about preparing for a game like this, he was typically pragmatic.
“Exactly the same,” he replied. “There’s no reason to keep it any different. It’s just another game of football for us and we have to keep our processes the same because that’s what we’ve done all season. That’s put us where we are.
“We’re confident. We’re excited about the game because we’re excited that you know 3,000 travelling fans is amazing. But more than anything, we’re excited to go and show what we can do.”
Fans have every right to be excited. On the same weekend last season, we went to Birmingham City, runaway leaders at the time, 14 points clear of relegation, but 12 points shy of the top six. That was a big game, but we only took 992 as there was little to play for.
12 months later, and there is history to play for.
“It’s a game for the fans to enjoy,” added Michael. “It’s not very often you go up against some super big clubs. There’s some huge clubs in this league, but these have been in the Championship most of their time.
“It’s a moment for the fans to enjoy, but we have to get the job done on the pitch like always. Whether that’s Cardiff, whether that’s Blackpool at home, for me, it doesn’t matter. We’ve just got to do the job we do to try to get the three points.”
City are also hunting a club record 20 games unbeaten. We’re 17 unbeaten in the league at the moment, but to get the record we’d have to avoid defeat in Wales, as well as against two promotion-chasing sides in Huddersfield and Stockport. Michael typically is not fussed about runs.
“The lads are confident, but again, it’s not about unbeaten runs. It’s not about the big game at Cardiff. It’s about three points. And again, I keep saying it, and it might bore people, but it’s the truth.
“This game’s worth the same amount. We have to approach it the same and think about it the same. And at the end of the day, it’s not going to dictate the end come outcome of this season, but it would be great to get those three points as always.”
It would be great to get those three points; it would be good to go toe-to-toe with them just as we did with Birmingham a year ago, when only a Sam Clucas foul in the box separated the two sides. The game might not decide promotion, or even the title race, but it will do one thing – give supporters a memory for many years to come, if the outcome is right.
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