Michael Skubala gave his first interview to Bristol City media this week and admitted to turning down interest from other clubs to help get Lincoln City promoted.
Skubala was heavily linked with Huddersfield Town last season, but there was never a suggestion of a mid-season departure, with the Imps flying high. Eventually, we finished top of the league with 103 points, an astounding achievement and one likely to go down in history.
Michael has since moved to Bristol City, and while some supporters have accused him of jumping ship at the first opportunity, that isn’t the case. As he told his new employer, he had a chance to leave, but stayed put to help us over the line.
“At the end of the season, things happen quite quickly,” he said. “When we finished last season, it came about and it was something I really wanted to speak to the club about.
“I had the opportunity before that, because we were going so well at my previous club, to talk to other clubs, but I wanted to finish the job. I went into that club with the ambition to get them promoted.”
He did get us promoted, and with that on the CV, plus other circumstances coming together, it became clear we’d struggle to hold on to Michael. In his recent interview with Michael Hortin, Jez George explained the process and why perhaps it seemed messier than it should have been.
“There were a couple last year for Michael during the season, and when it gets to the end of a season, there’s a natural pause for everybody. We were aware that there were a couple of clubs in the Championship looking for head coaches.
“I was also aware that James Ellis was going to be appointed as sporting director, and that James Ellis goes back quite a long way with Michael from their time together at Loughborough University. It doesn’t take too much to connect the dots and think there is potentially an opportunity for Michael to be approached by that club.
“There’s always that bit in your stomach where you think, okay, here we go. We’re into a period where we’re going to have to execute, be smart and make some pretty sharp decisions. We wanted to minimise the uncertainty.”
“That process took two and a half or three weeks, and it all got played out in the public domain. In reality, most of those conversations probably happen behind closed doors and the approach to the club doesn’t happen until they are pretty certain they want to take that member of staff.
“There is no criticism because it was really honourable and showed loads of integrity, but because of it, it was probably played out in public a little bit. Equally, it did give us a little bit of time to make sure that we were certain with what should come next.”
What comes next is Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, hopefully a continuation of the good work they, alongside Michael, put in last season. The Championship was always going to be hard, and I’m not sure it is any harder or easier given Michael’s departure.
As for our former head coach, he once again spoke fondly of his time here. I know we’re moving on, but I reported the opening Mark Kennedy comments at Swindon, and think any reference to us should find its way onto the site, so here are Michael’s final thoughts on his time with us.
“First of all, I loved my time at Lincoln City, and before that I was at Leeds United, where I also loved my time.
“When I went into Lincoln, everybody sees the last season, but actually in the first season, we had to build something and start to progress. I think we went 16 games unbeaten in that season, so in football it’s never an overnight thing.
“We need patience and time, and we can build something special here as well. At Lincoln, we had a really good group of staff, developed a really good group of staff, and had an exceptional group of players. As everybody knows, we had a great season.
“My job there was to get that team promoted. We had a plan to do it in five years and we did it in three, which was great.
“To go with Lincoln and get them into the Championship for the first time in 65 years, lead that, develop the staff behind it and develop the players into that, was special.
“Every story comes to an end at some point, and it’s nice to turn a chapter here for myself.”
Hopefully, if that development is longstanding, then we’ll see the fruits of his labour and the hard work of those who have remained at the club push us outside that relegation zone next season.
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