Credit Graham Burrell
We might not have the so-called “names” that dominate social media graphics and deadline day countdowns, but I would not swap this Lincoln City squad for anything in League One right now.
There is a narrative gathering pace that our success is about alchemy rather than ability. The ‘greater than the sum of the parts’ narrative is one I have parroted on a few occasions, but I’m not sure it is wholly accurate.
The suggestion is simple enough that we do not have many players who would automatically walk into the first XI of some of the division’s perceived heavyweights. No big Premier League academy fanfare. No Championship loan hype train. No glossy pedigree.
And yet here we are, second in the table.
Increasingly, I think what we are really talking about is fashion. Our players are not always fashionable. They do not arrive with the buzz of a top-flight academy tag and a couple of loan spells on their CV. They often come via alternative routes. The League of Ireland. Early academy exits. Smart development pathways rather than ready-made reputations.
Take Jack Moylan. Right now, he would enhance any League One squad with his talent, energy and spark. He plays with bravery, he carries the ball, he shoots, and he takes responsibility. But because he emerged from the LOI rather than a Premier League production line, he does not always receive the same immediate respect in wider conversations. That is perception, not reality. Look at others who have walked the same path, the likes of Aidan Keena – it’s not a path that always brings success without the right personality.
Credit Graham Burrell
The same argument has been levelled at our squad in general, that we are “more than the sum of our parts”. There is truth in that, of course. Cohesion matters. Coaching matters. Culture matters. But the phrase can carry an unintended slight, as if the parts themselves are somehow average.
They are not.
Yes, Michael Skubala deserves enormous credit for what he has built. The clarity of approach, the standards, the tactical organisation, all of that is visible every week. But let us not strip the players of their input. Let’s not rob them of their hard work and their ability. They are not passengers on a well-driven bus. They are the engine.
And then there is Jez George and the recruitment team. If anyone wants to reach for a “Moneyball” comparison, fine. But this is not about gimmicks or gimmicky data hunting. This is not Sheffield United identifying a player using AI and that player never kicking a ball. It is about identifying value where others either do not look or do not rate it highly enough. Character. Work rate. Coachability. Resilience.
Credit Graham Burrell
We have seen it time and again. Young players arriving at 15-years-old identified not simply for raw ability but for pathway potential. Others arrive slightly under the radar and flourish because the environment suits them. Great examples of that are Sean Roughan, who came and developed over time, and Lasse Sorensen, who had one loan spell in the EFL and wasn’t particularly lauded for it, and yet they both did well for us.
Our recruitment doesn’t always appear conventional. Some players arrive on four-year deals and don’t flower for a year or two. One or two might not flower at all; not every signing works, that is football, but look around our dressing room. There is (seemingly) not a bad apple in it.
What we are witnessing is not recruitment smoke and mirrors. It is not squeezing blood from stones. It is intelligent recruitment aligned with coherent coaching and, crucially, players who are good enough.
So no, we might not top the league table for fashionable surnames or resale headlines. But in terms of balance, togetherness, and genuine League One quality, I would not change much about this squad at all.
And I suspect that says more about us than any reputation ever could.
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