It’s that time of the year again! We are only a matter of days from the EFL season getting underway, and there’s a nervous buzz of energy around the country as fans are eager to see what kind of season lies ahead for their club.
But, what can we expect from Lincoln City?
Lincoln City’s Squad:
While the club have recruited ten players so far this summer transfer window, it is important to recognise the major boots that they will have to fill from some departures. None more so than the departure of goalkeeper Lukas Jensen to Millwall.
The Danish 25-year-old left the club for the Championship and kept an impressive 19 clean sheets during the 2023/24 season.
City have recruited three new goalkeepers: George Wickens from Fulham, as well as Zach Jeacock and Jamie Pardington on free transfers. Of them, Wickens is in line to be City’s number one and started the final friendly against Arsenalunder-21s.
Other key departures include fellow Dane Lasse Sorensen to Huddersfield Town, midfield duo of Danny Mandroiu and Teddy Bishop, and defender TJ Eyoma following the end of their contracts.
JJ McKiernan, Tom Bayliss, Dom Jeffries and the return of Conor McGrandles have covered the midfield. The arrival of Tendayi Darikwa adds experience to a relatively young defence, with former Cheltenham Town striker Rob Street adding to the attacking department.
What to expect?
Overall, City recruited well and stuck to their transfer model of buying young, looking to develop players, before selling them on, except for 31-year-old Darikwa.
The most important transfer could be the replacement goalkeeper for Lukas Jensen. It’s a tall ask to replace him (literally), and the 19 league clean sheets he provided. It’s almost unfair to expect that from the new number one.
However, the progressive style of football that Michael Skubala has implemented will see the goalkeeper involved in playing out from the back. The goalkeeper could set the tone for the way that the Imps may play, and if that is right, then City can provide the quality going forward, as seen at the back end of last season.
Fixtures:
City will begin their League One campaign on Saturday, August 10, away at Burton Albion. The same fixture proved to be a pivotal one last year, as it ended a ten-game unbeaten run, and saw the Imps then win 10 of their next 12 games to give them an outside chance of gate crashing the play-off places.
New additions to the league see Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, and Rotherham joining from the Championship. From League Two, Crawley Town, Stockport County, Mansfield Town and Wrexham, will help make up the 23 sides that Michael Skubala’s side will face.
In the first round of the Carabao Cup, Harrogate Town visit the LNER Stadium next Tuesday, before the first home league games of the season of local neighbours Barnsley and Mansfield Town.
In the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, the Imps will host newly EFL side Chesterfield, and Manchester City U21s, and visit Grimsby Town in the group stages of the competition. City got to the round of 16 stage last season, losing to Accrington Stanley late in December.
What to take from pre-season?
Overall, it has been a successful pre-season campaign. The trip abroad to start things off saw a 1-0 win over Preston North End, before returning back to Lincolnshire.
Wins against Walsall, Norwich City under-21s and Harrogate Town all made for good reading for Imps supporters.
The return defender Lewis Montsma was the major headline during the 2-1 victory over Arsenal under-21s at the LNER Stadium last Saturday, as the Dutchman got himself on the scoresheet to round off pre-season.
Albeit pre-season, and coaches say it’s all about getting minutes into the legs of players, finding a way to win and making it a habit is also just as important for a successful season. The only blip was a 3-0 loss to Leeds United.
The side have shown the ability to possess multiple goalscorers; with most of the forwards all finding the net. No strikers will be going into the new season not knowing what it is like to find the net in a Lincoln City shirt on, which can be crucial from a confidence point of view.
While goals have been flying in at one end, clean sheets against Preston North End, Oldham Athletic and Harrogate Town have suggested that the side has not lost any of it’s defensive knowhow that saw them keep 19 league clean sheets in last season.
Overall…
SkyBet League One is stacked with excellent sides this term, with head coach Skubala saying it will not be easy.
Speaking to BBC Radio Lincolnshire, he said: “I know it’s going to be quite a tough League One, some say the strongest League One in recent years, but I’m quite excited about that and I think the players are [too].”
However, with the potential increase in quality, the club have recruited well enough to avoid a major fall off in comparison to last season.
In my opinion, it is fair to say that City overachieved in the second half of last season, with the incredible 16 game unbeaten run. The quality in the side certainly does not leave them far off the play-offs.
Despite that I do feel that some of the teams in this league will be a step too far to beat and have placed the Imps to finish outside of the play-offs, but certainly inside the top ten.
Feature Image Credit: Chris Vaughan/Lincoln City FC