Lincoln City are in a tough spot following their latest defeat, according to head coach Michael Skubala.
The Imps lost to Rotherham United on New Year’s Day, meaning they now have just a single victory in 11 SkyBet League One outings.
Speaking after the game, Skubala said: “Disappointing again, a tough, tough afternoon. There is no doubt we are in a tough spot, and we’ve got to get through it together. It’s not through effort and desire, just things aren’t dropping for us. Simple things, but we’ve got to be better.
Rotherham have now done the double over Lincoln this season, following up their home win in December with this victory on the road.
The Imps head coach continued: “We’re being stifled, we’re not creating enough. I thought in the first-half we got down the sides of them, Bailey Cadamarteri is getting in off the back, and we’re sticking to the match plan, we’re doing really well.
“But, in the second-half, we couldn’t get up the pitch, we couldn’t get down the sides of them and we couldn’t get out. In the end, we didn’t create enough second-half… I think the one thing is we started to play their game a little bit too much.
“We know how [Rotherham] play, we fell into that a little bit and it became a bit too direct… in the end we probably just got worn down.”
Skubala told The Linc: “We couldn’t settle the game. There were loads of fouls, that’s how they play: very direct, stopping it, playing in a diamond, making it clunky, making it hard. And, it’s hard for our players to settle the game, and we needed to be better and calmer in those situations.
“That’s the challenge when we play against the Rotherhams, and the other teams similar to this in the league.”
Togetherness the message:
Skubala offered a message of togetherness for his Imps troops, pinning that as the important factor in turning their recent run around.
He said: “There’s only one way to get through this, we get through this together, as a team, as a club, as everything. We’re in a tough spot, but that’s what we’ve got to do. Get our heads down and work hard.
“We have to support the players in these moments because things can become rushed and frantic. It’s my job to get them through it and we’ve got to keep working together.”
On the injury front, captain Paudie O’Connor suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in the game, while Skubala declared Lewis Montsma back in the frame for selection against Stevenage on Saturday, January 4.
January transfer window opens:
The start of 2025 also brought the opening of the winter transfer window.
The City head coach was quizzed on how Lincoln are approaching the market, and said: “There’s no need to panic, but we still need to do bits of work, there’s no doubt that we need to do that. Our capabilities are as a club is different from the capabilities of some of the other clubs
“So, I think we have to be quite smart in this market and make sure that if we are going to add to the group to help, I think that’s really important.
“I don’t think there will be loads done, but we definitely have to look at things.”
Oh dear. Bit of a sad and sorry interview.
City at the moment need a goal scorer of great aplomb we have not scored over Christmas at all and when we dropped out the league we took one point in the last 23 games of that season so players don’t let it happen again and get behind the management team.
Took my 11year granddaughter to the match yesterday and Saturday coming so hopefully they will play better against Stevenage and get behind the manager before it’s too late.