6. The shift to a back four became a bridge to this season
The Crawley game also marked the start of something bigger tactically. Over the final 12 matches of last season, we moved into a back four and, in doing so, finally embraced the shape and principles that felt more naturally aligned with Skubala’s long-term vision. It was a brave call in-season, but it effectively turned the last quarter of the campaign into an extended rehearsal for what came next.
That decision matters now because this season did not appear from nowhere in August. The habits were already being formed in spring. Skubala was experimenting, refining and learning in real time, and while those games did not carry promotion stakes for City, they proved invaluable. By the time the new campaign began, the groundwork had already been done and the story of this season had been foreshadowed.
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