Skubala Set to Join Bristol City as Lincoln Faces Change

Michael Skubala is closing in on the Bristol City job, a move that would end one of the most impressive – and brief – managerial tenures in Lincoln City’s history.

According to John Percy, negotiations between Skubala and the Robins are ongoing, with a three-year deal close to being agreed. If signed off, it will leave Lincoln searching for a new head coach and waving goodbye to a manager who departs with the second-best win percentage the club has ever seen, after a campaign many around Sincil Bank would argue was their finest.

From outside shot to leading man

Two weeks ago, Bristol City’s first approach barely registered as a genuine threat. Not internally. Not among supporters. Skubala looked secure, the project at Lincoln stable and upwardly mobile.

Then the picture changed.

James Ellis, a close friend of Skubala, arrived at Ashton Gate as sporting director. That appointment immediately sharpened the focus. Skubala was no longer a name on a longlist; he was a live contender, with a key ally now shaping the club’s direction.

Even then, his path to the job seemed to close almost as quickly as it had opened. Bristol City moved for their preferred candidate, Tommy Elphick, last week. By that stage, some outlets were already suggesting Skubala was on the verge of committing his future to the Imps with a new deal.

The story looked finished.

Then came the twist. Elphick, by reports, turned the Robins down, opting to stay at Dean Court and continue his work under Bournemouth’s new manager. Bristol City, suddenly without their first choice, were forced to reset.

They turned straight back to Skubala.

Talks accelerated on Wednesday, and the mood around Lincoln shifted. What had once felt like background noise now looks like a decisive move. Barring a late collapse, it would be a surprise to see Skubala in the Lincoln dugout when pre-season friendlies begin.

Lincoln’s next move

So what now for the Imps?

The club has not stumbled into this. There is a succession plan for every head coach – whether that means a defined shortlist or a clear front-runner ready to step up. The expectation, given the way Lincoln have operated in recent years, is that the appointment will come quickly.

Speed, though, should not be confused with panic. This is a club that has increasingly built around structure, not personalities.

Internally, the case for continuity is strong. The current set-up under Skubala is collaborative rather than dominated by a single voice. The argument goes that the best way to protect that progress is to promote from within, shifting the existing staff up and reinforcing lower down the chain instead of ripping up the model for an outside name.

Names like Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen naturally emerge in that conversation. Both are embedded in the current culture, both understand the squad and the direction of travel. An internal promotion would keep the footballing principles intact, even as the figurehead changes.

A Brentford-style blueprint

For those looking for a template, Brentford stand as the obvious reference point.

Dean Smith transformed the Bees, then left. They didn’t panic. They promoted Thomas Frank from within. Frank took them into the Premier League. When he moved on, they elevated set-piece coach Keith Andrews to the head coach role. The club’s trajectory barely flickered; they went on to secure three top-ten finishes in four Premier League seasons.

No scramble for the same recycled names. No lurch towards the managerial merry-go-round. Just a clear, joined-up succession plan, with each new head coach already steeped in the club’s methods, players, ownership and culture.

Lincoln have tried to build along similar lines. If they stick to that principle now, the transition from Skubala could feel more like a handover than a rupture.

For the moment, Lincoln wait. Bristol City edge closer to their man. And as the club’s Championship era begins to take shape, it may do so with a new voice in the technical area and a fresh test of whether the Imps truly believe in the structure they’ve spent years putting in place.