Bristol City head coach Michael Skubala has warned his new side not to underestimate his former club Lincoln City when the two meet on Tuesday night. The 43-year-old faces the Imps for the first time since guiding them to the League One title and promotion in May, just weeks before his move to Ashton Gate.
Lincoln City travel to Bristol sitting 16th in the Championship with eight points from their opening six games. Their recent form shows two wins and two draws from their last four league matches, a run that includes a 1-0 victory at Preston North End last Saturday. Freddie Draper scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute, assisted by Andrei Coubiș, to secure the three points at Deepdale.
Skubala's Lincoln legacy
Of the eleven players who started that match against Preston, nine were part of the squad Skubala managed last season. The club's current joint head coaches, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, were also on his staff during his tenure. "I'm very proud of the work that I did at Lincoln but all good things come to an end," Skubala told reporters.
He emphasised the threat posed by the newly-promoted side, pointing directly to their recent results. "You could underestimate a Lincoln team coming up into this Championship but their results that they've got have not surprised me one bit," he said. Bristol City currently sit two points above Lincoln in the table, with Skubala having overseen three wins so far this season, though they lost their most recent outing to Southampton.
The Imps' current form
Lincoln's season has been a mix of solidity and heavy defeats. After the win at Preston, they were beaten 4-0 by Bournemouth in their previous match. They have scored five goals and conceded six across their six Championship fixtures, leaving them with a minus-one goal difference.
The squad that Skubala knows so well has adapted to the second tier, remaining unbeaten in four of their last five league games. Their schedule shows a tough start, with matches against Southampton and Bournemouth already played.
Tuesday's match at Ashton Gate kicks off at 19:45. Lincoln will be looking to build on their away victory at Preston and continue their positive run against a manager familiar with every detail of their setup.
