When Michael Skubala took over at Lincoln City, he inherited a club defined by ambition, but not at the cost of sustainability.

In a League One filled with heavyweights – clubs with recent history in the Premier League and, for some, Europe, Skubala’s Imps have been known for staying competitive, upsetting the odds and punching above their weight.

Strategy is the key to bridging the gap. And Skubala, for nearly the last two years, has been the man charged with balancing aspiration with realism.

His message is consistent: build steadily, recruit smartly, and maximise potential.

“When I came in I knew the club needed to move players on and sell players,” he tells Sky Sports. “We had a really good window in terms of selling talent, then we had to replenish while keeping competitive.

“For Lincoln, it’s about staying competitive while also helping players take the next step. Most clubs in this league are trying to do what we do. We’ve been successful with both incomings and outgoings.

“Every season has a different story. We tried to keep as many as we could this time, but in the end the turnover was high. There’s a big difference between clubs wanting to buy your players and clubs moving them on. This season we had lots of interest, which is the next stage for the club.

“As a coach you always want to keep your best players, but sometimes you lose them to bigger clubs. Then you have to reorganise.”

Part of that reorganisation was realising the weaknesses of last season. There was quality within the squad, but a lack of depth saw them flounder. A play-off push looked possible until the turn of the year, but that eventually turned into a mid-table finish.

“There were times when we were playing players out of position because we didn’t have the bodies,” Skubala reflects. “We’ve addressed that. Managing 46 league games plus cups is always the challenge. We’re learning every year. I’m learning, the players are learning, the club is learning.

“Our aim is to be a top-half League One team with aspirations of pushing into the play-offs. We know we’re always trying to punch a bit above our weight compared to some bigger clubs. If we hit the sweet spot, we can be in that race.”

Balancing expectation

Being level-headed is key – and not always easy. On one hand, this was a club that were in non-League as recently as 2017. On the other, a League One play-off final defeat in 2021, and an agonising end to 2024 that saw them finish seventh, pushes up expectation of what is possible.

“The club has to stay stable, calm and diligent in how it operates,” says Skubala. “Coaches need to be diligent in their work and the club has to make good recruitment decisions. We can’t grow too quickly.

“It is the fans’ job to dream. It’s their job to get upset when we lose and excited when we win. For us, the job is to keep working hard, knowing we have to hit sweet spots against some very big clubs.

“We can’t take our place in League One for granted. It’s a tough league. Some clubs have dropped straight through it, others have bounced around it. We’ve been here a long time. Fans will look at other clubs coming through quickly, and that’s fine. Our job is to be realistic about who we are and not run too fast.”

Personal growth as a coach

That balance applies to Skubala as well. This is still his first senior managerial role after all following a coaching career that took in time at England youth level and Leeds United.

“You have to learn quickly in this job,” he says. “There’s a lot of talk about identity, but you also have to be adaptable. Not many coaches get to choose exactly the players they want. Everyone else has to adapt.

“We play a different way now than we did when I first came in, but we still keep our principles. It’s about getting the best out of the group rather than being fixed on one system. League One is very different from the Premier League.

“I’ve been coaching for 20 years, but it’s not until you’re a head coach that you feel the need to tweak and adapt while still keeping your identity.

“Historically I’ve done well by maximising groups and getting the most out of them. That makes me proud because as a coach you’re always trying to punch above your weight.

“The more a club spends, the more likely they are to be successful. The budget tables don’t move far from the actual tables. Fans don’t get excited about that, but within the game it’s recognised.

“But the ultimate achievement is, of course, promotion.”

Size and spending matters, with Skubala and strategy Lincoln City stand a chance.