Manager of the Month: Is Michael Skubala On For Three In a Row?

The month of March is done and dusted, and Michael Skubala is looking for a piece of history.

He’s probably not, actually. I get the impression personal accolades mean little, and he won’t have given the possibility of a third manager of the month award in a row a second thought. However, I have, on his behalf (and the whole staff) and I think there is a real chance of him breaking a record.

Dennis Wise, Roberto Martinez, John Ward, Paul Lambert, Chris Powell, Ronnie Moore, Darren Ferguson, Steven Schumacher, Kieran McKenna, Michael Duff, Ian Evatt, Matt Bloomfield and now Michael Skubala. That’s the list of managers who have won two in a row since League One became League One.

Three in a row? The list is shorter. Nobody. Not a single manager. Not once.

Is Michael up for it this month? Shortlists won’t be announced, but he has to be the hot favourite again, surely? The only two managers I suspect could be in with a shout are Tom Cleverley and Ritchie Wellens. Cleverley might be the one to watch – Plymouth have the same record as us in March, won four, drawn one. They’ve beaten play-off hopefuls Huddersfield Town and Stevenage, as well as drawing 2-2 at Reading. Their goal difference is plus seven, having scored 11 and let in four.

Michael Skubala’s Imps have won four and drawn one in March, but one of those wins was 2-0 away at the top team, which surely has to count for something? Our record is scored 11 with three conceded, and we won an extra away game, which on paper looks like the better run. I strongly suspect the EFL will want to go with another candidate, and will give it to Cleverley as he’s brought Plymouth up the table, not just taken the 17th-placed budget team from second to top.

Ritchie Wellens is another shout. His Orient side looked in serious trouble, but they have marched out of the danger zone with 13 points in March, matching us. They do have a defeat on their slate, 2-1 at Bradford, but beat Stevenage (2-1), Peterborough (2-1), Wimbledon (4-2) and Wycombe (2-0), before drawing with Exeter.

Those three have got to be the favourites, but can Skubala and his staff match the late, great Graham Taylor and hit four in a season? Taylor achieved that in 75/76, a season that went down in history, and after this weekend, 2025/26 might just match that.