The mess left behind at Sincil Bank
Michael Skubala didn't just leave Lincoln City; he left them in a state of operational limbo. Jumping ship to Bristol City right before the summer window opens is the kind of move that triggers a total rebuild. Now, the board has installed Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw as joint head coaches. It rarely works.
History provides a grim look at this arrangement. Joint-management structures are usually desperate attempts to paper over disagreements on recruitment or tactical direction. You lose the singular vision required to shape a squad during the preseason weeks. If Cohen wants to drill a high-press system while Shaw prefers a more pragmatic, low-block structure, the players are the ones who pay the price on the pitch.
The data on coaching churn
Look at the churn rate in League One. Stability is the only metric that correlates with mid-table security. By splitting the authority, Lincoln has effectively signaled to the dressing room that accountability is fractured. When a result goes south on a Tuesday night at Wycombe, who steps up for the post-match press conference?
We already know what happens under this model. Decision-making slows down. Recruitment targets in the transfer market will inevitably fall through because you need two 'yes' votes instead of one. As the BBC reported, the pivot to Cohen and Shaw follows a chaotic period for the club's leadership. This isn't a calculated experiment. It is a reaction to a vacuum.
Why this won't last
The tactical identity Lincoln built under Skubala is effectively dead. He had them playing a specific variant of possession football that required consistent personnel movement. Transitioning from that toward whatever brand of football Cohen and Shaw imagine is going to be painful for the first 10 matches of the season.
Expect to see a frantic, disjointed start that sees the club drop points against bottom-half sides. The board will likely panic by mid-September when the win column remains light. Real success in the EFL requires a clear head coach who owns his tactical failures and dictates the culture.
My prediction? This partnership survives until the first international break in the fall. Once the pressure hits, the lack of hierarchy will force the board to pick a permanent successor or hire a singular Director of Football to clean up the mess. It is an uninspired, defensive appointment that ignores how modern rosters are managed.
