46 games is a long season for EFL clubs, but certain clubs yearn to exceed that amount by reaching the play-offs, with the hope of securing promotion.
In League One, former Premier League club Portsmouth look set to secure a return to the Championship, losing just four games from their 43 fixtures to date.
On that journey, they have conceded just 37 goals, a number matched by only two sides in League One – Derby County and Lincoln City.
The former sits behind Pompey in second place, while the latter sits in eight, looking to finish the season strong to barge their way into the top six.
Current Lincoln boss Michael Skubala joined the club in November 2023 with the Imps in 10th position, conceding 17 by the time Skubala.
While that record is nothing to frown upon, Lincoln’s current defensive record suggests that Skubala has improved their defensive performance while also significantly improving their attacking output too.
This scout report will provide a Michael Skubala tactical analysis along with Lincoln City’s defensive tactics and a brief analysis of their strong attacking form of late.
Michael Skubala Formation
Over the course of the campaign, Lincoln have used 3-4-3 the most.
However, in recent months, under Skubala’s leadership, they’ve favoured 3-5-2 (or similar variants like 5-3-2).
The switch in formation took time to arrive, but it allowed for Skubala’s tactics to be more prominent and effective.
The Imps like to build attacks through the centre and the 3-5-2 lends itself to those tactics better than 3-4-3 does.
Pressing the backline
Lincoln are not a high-pressing, high-intensity team off the ball the way that, say, Stockport County are, as we covered last week.
The stats tell us that the Imps like to be more reserved in their approach – a PPDA of 12.5 is the third highest in League One, while they have a challenge rating of 5.7, the fifth lowest in the division.
