Four Reasons Why Michael Skubala Would need to Leave Lincoln City This Summer after worst season performances
After Lincoln City’s scintillating run to the top six last season, it’s no surprise Michael Skubala’s name is being linked with other jobs.
The Imps fell at the final hurdle, failing to beat Portsmouth on the final day of the season, but that was enough for the fans. As Pompey bagged a second, ending the brave fight from the home side, the entire stadium burst into applause, proud of what they’d seen since the turn of the year.
Much of that is down to coach Michael Skubala. Plucked from the Leeds academy, he took charge of a Football League club for the first time in November. After a tough start with a depleted squad, the Imps thrived. March, in particular, was exciting, with three wins against Barnsley (5-1), Cambridge (6-0), and Bristol Rovers (5-0) keeping fans entertained.
Next season will be a big challenge as they look to improve on seventh place, but there’s no doubt the run of form has alerted other clubs to Skubala’s talents. In the internet age, every fan has an opinion, and many at Plymouth Arygle, for instance, are convinced Skubala has already spoken to them.
It feels like baseless rumour, especially when you consider these four reasons we think Michael Skubala won’t leave Lincoln City this summer.
His job has just started
Michael Skubala’s job at Lincoln is only just getting started, and he strikes supporters as a man who wants to see a job through. He had a great end to the season, but it was a 20-game run rather than a full season. He’ll need to put a 46-game campaign behind him to fully capitalise on his rising stock.
Of course, if the Imps lead the way at Christmas by ten points and the Leeds job comes up, it might be a different story.
The grass is greener on your side of the fence if you water it properly
Steven Schumacher, Danny Cowley, Nathan Jones, Paul Hurst…. the list of promising managers who jumped ship, leaving a good thing for somewhere better, only to suffer failure, goes on and on. However, Eddie Howe and Kieran McKenna prove that sometimes, staying put and seeing a job through is the way to success.
If Michael Skubala is as good as he is threatening to be, then staying put and proving it at Lincoln is the best way to progress. The grass might looker greener, but if you water your patch properly, then your garden will be more than enough.
One of Skubala’s main ideas is to improve the players daily, which will lead to a collective team improvement. That was certainly evident with Jovon Makama, for instance, who ended the season looking like a viable League One striker. Across the squad, Imps’ fans saw improvements in many players.
It’s almost certain Skubala applies that logic to himself. He learns, develops and adapts, and at Lincoln, he has a good coaching set-up, including former Forest man Chris Cohen. Skubala will be getting better daily, learning and evolving, and it feels like he might want to keep that going for a while yet.
