Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala has revealed that summer signing Erik Ring is in the process of learning different positions.
The 22-year-old was arrived at the LNER Stadium in August from Swedish outfit AIK amid much fanfare and was arguably the club’s marquee signing. However, he has played a fringe role in the squad since joining, featuring mainly from the substitutes bench.
Ring is traditionally a winger but with Lincoln traditionally operating with wing-backs, this has seen others more familiar with the role preferred over the course of the season thus far. He has started the last two games though, scoring and assisting in the 4-3 win over Crawley Town in the FA Cup second round on Saturday.
Michael Skubala Reveals Plan
Lincoln make the short trip to Rotherham United tonight hoping to end a run of four league games without a win. The recent blip in form has seen Skubala tinker with his team, culminating in Ring making only his third league start against Wrexham last week.
The former Leeds United coach has revealed that the club have been helping Ring adapt to life in England whilst also teaching him different positions. Speaking to official club media, the manager said:
“Erik’s improving all the time, it’s not easy to transition to life in a different country let alone football as well. There’s more duels, it’s a bit more direct and it’s more physical.
“He’s grown into it well and we saw at the weekend his power and the technical quality he brings. He’s still growing, and he’s aware we want him to learn different positions so he can keep impacting the team. He’s moving in the right direction.”
Writer’s View
With Lincoln’s style of play operating in a different way to that of his previous club, it was always going to take time for Ring to settle in. Their patient approach with the player shows an excellent handling of the situation and one where they are starting to reap the rewards. His cameos this season have been promising but he showed against Crawley that he is capable of making a big difference at this level. It will be interesting to see if he retains his place against Rotherham, but it would be a surprise to see him drop out of the team based on recent evidence.
Head of Writing
