Lincoln City boss Michael Skubala on learning through falling short, staying calm through stress and being a career coach; watch Exeter City vs Lincoln City live on Sky Sports Football from 12pm on Saturday; kick-off 12.30pm
Monday 11 November 2024 16:16, UK
Football is full of sliding doors moments and one of those very moments took place at Sincil Bank on the final day of last season.
Lincoln City started the day sixth in League One with their play-offs destiny in their own hands. They faced Portsmouth - already promoted - and early in the second half they won a penalty.
Dan Mandriou stepped up, his effort was saved and Lincoln were beaten 2-0. Oxford United got their job done elsewhere to take Lincoln's spot in the top six. They then went on to win at Wembley and are now playing in the Championship.
Had that penalty been converted, the Imps could now be sitting in the second tier. But boss Michael Skubala isn't interested in dwelling on what might have been.
"It's nice to go close but close isn't getting there," Skubala tells Sky Sports.
"We had a great run in the second part of the season and that was a great achievement, but ultimately we didn't make it.
"It always comes down to small margins in football. If we'd have scored that penalty, we might have got into the play-offs and then you never know.
"But ultimately we didn't. And then you have to move on and look forward."
Lincoln is Skubala's first permanent role in senior management and it wasn't the easiest start for him after arriving from Leeds' coaching team.
He won just two of his first 13 league games, the kind of record that can make club hierarchies very uneasy.
But Skubala, 42, knew the Imps would give him time to get things right. It is patience he knew he would need in his jump into the lead role.
"It was definitely part of the thinking," he admits. "I was impressed with the strategy they had in place and I always think the coach needs to meet the project.
"Football is about evolution not revolution, but one thing that managers don't have a lot of is time - especially if you're not winning. That is the industry we're in.
"But I feel privileged to be in football. I have been for many years and I love it. It's exciting and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Patience has paid off. Even if Lincoln didn't quite achieve their goal last season, in this campaign they are currently sat fifth in the table on a mid-range budget.
He is one of the new breed of coaches who are sweeping the game in this country. Career coaches who never played a game professionally.
Skubala has dedicated his entire adult life to coaching, working his way up through non-League clubs and EFL academies, before going on to coach the England national futsal team, as well as being part of the staff of England's U18s.
From there he joined Leeds United as their U21s head coach, before a brief spell in interim charge of the senior side after Jesse Marsch was sacked - and then working as a first-team coach.
Skubala doesn't see his unique path as a pro or a con, however.
"Every manager and coach has a different journey," he says. "It doesn't necessarily matter how long you've been in the game or how old you are.
"I might be seen as quite young but there are younger managers out there like Kieran McKenna, Danny Rohl and Fabian Hurzeler, all doing great jobs.
"I think we're now in a sport that's just looking for the best person for the role and it doesn't really matter who that is anymore. That makes it an exciting time.
"I always enjoyed the coaching side of things and spent probably 20 years honing my craft.
"I've been doing it from a young age with the ambition of trying to get into management. It was a goal but it was never a rush for me."
Skubala has now been in charge at Lincoln for a year and he smiles when he is posed with saying what he has found out about himself in that time.
"That's a really good question," he says.
"I've learned that my calmness is quite a good thing that really helps the group at times because, as we know, football is emotional. Everyone loves it, everyone hates it. You win, you lose.
"To stay calm even in the pressure situations is a good trait to have."
But could Skubala stay calm if Lincoln are faced with another final-day battle to get into the play-offs? Or even the top two in League One?
He reckons so.
"If we got to that point, I'd take that again!" he says. "I think we have the experience now and we're better for it. We'd all be more ready than we were before.
"If we were in that position again at the end of the season, I'd back us to get over the line this time."
