Lincoln City striker Ben House says Michael Skubala‘s style of play “suits me perfectly”, as the Imps prepare for a trip to Barnsley.
The forward returned from his long-term injury in February and has made his presence felt during Lincoln’s on-going ten game unbeaten run.
Suited to Skubala’s style of play:
Ben House is a good fit for the Imps head coach’s style, helping his team press from the front.
He said: “It suits me perfectly. Even before Skubala, we were counter-pressing as much as we could anyway. But, I think that under the gaffer, we’re better at it, we know when to go even better than we were before. We are more organised in that transition.”
“It works for me perfectly and I think the other boys have bought into it as well,” he added.
The 24-year-old’s work without the ball is regarded as some of the best in SkyBet League One, including by Skubala himself.
House said: “That’s me, you know. That’s the style of football that I play and as I said with Joe [Taylor], Freddie [Draper] and Jovon [Makama], we’re all different players. I don’t think any of us are similar, so it’s nice to have unique features in those areas.”
Lincoln have kept four clean sheets in a row, including a most-recent goalless draw against Stevenage. Defensive strength has been a feature of recent Imps teams, but has excelled under the current gaffer.
“I think we’ve got the best record in defence, it’s always handy and I think everyone knows that defence starts from the front as well. It’s a team effort and they are great to have back there,” House said.
Staying focused during his injury:
Ben House missed five months of the season due to injury, being absent from Lincoln’s dramatic victory at Premier League side Sheffield United at the end of August, until his substitute appearance against Burton Albion in February.
LincSport asked the former Reading striker how he managed to stay focused during his lengthy time on the injury list.
He said: “My focus from the start of the injury was getting back as soon as, even Conor McGrandles and Ethan Hamilton will say. As soon as you find out the severity of that injury you instantly switch it up. Your question is when can I be back, when can I play again, when can I train again. It’s not too bad to stay focused and get back, and hopefully help the team.”
The Michael Skubala effect:
Ben House shone light on the impact Skubala has had on the team since he was announced as Mark Kennedy’s replacement in November.
Speaking to Siren Radio, he said: “It’s great being coached under him. Obviously you won’t see it, but we do quite a lot of meetings and we do one-on-ones with him. He’s a different manager to what I’ve worked with before, but in a better way. I feel like we learn more from him and you can tell he’s more experienced in what he says and how we says it.”
“So, it’s handy to have someone who actually wants you to do better and knows how to tell you what positions you need to be in,” he added.
House and Skubala will be aiming to extend the Imps ten game unbeaten run on Saturday, as around 1,8000 Lincoln fans travel to South Yorkshire.