Lincoln City boss Michael Skubala has praised his young squad despite an early exit from the FA Cup in the first round at the hands of League Two outfit Morecambe back in November.
The Nottingham-born manager has stated he wants his Imps side to express themselves and breed a winning mentality ahead of their EFL Trophy knockout clash against fourth-tier Accrington Stanley on Tuesday evening.
The ex-Leeds United interim head coach has heaped praise on several young players, including the likes of Dylan Duffy and TJ Eyoma to name but two. He also alluded to his options in defence, with all the defenders offering him something different following two clean sheets in the last three games.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Skubala said [quotes via Vital Lincoln City]:
“It’s a credit to them really, with the desire to keep the ball out of the net….and get those clean sheets.
“We’ve got to be mindful and ready for what they [Accrington] throw at us”.
One way the East Midlands club could potentially struggle this evening against Stanley is by defending dead-ball situations. It has become apparent that they struggle to stop goals coming from corners and free kicks, with this being a real Achilles heel for the team.
The League One outfit are still in the midst of an injury crisis in forward areas, including injuries to experienced heads Ben House, Tyler Walker and Reeco Hackett. House and Walker are both absent with long-term injuries. However, Hackett is expected back sometime in January.
Skubala succeeded Mark Kennedy as head coach in November, replacing Tom Shaw who was in charge in the interim, although Shaw has stayed on as assistant to Skubala. Lincoln parted ways with Irishman Kennedy in October following four defeats in his last six games in all competitions.
The Imps currently sit in ninth position in League One with 30 points from just 20 games. Nevertheless, seven points from the last nine is an impressive return since losing 1-0 away to Stevenage on the 18th of November.
Writer’s View
Danny Cowley would have been a good choice for the Imps. However, Skubala has had a great start to his tenure. He seems level-headed, yet ambitious and knows he needs to nurture his young players and allow them to develop without scrutiny.
Skubala has a history with young players too, having been the head coach of Leeds’ U21s until leaving for Sincil Bank so would know better than anyone how to get the best out of an inexperienced player.
