This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features personal comments from FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more.
Lincoln City have picked up where they left off at the start of the 2024/25 season, following a good finish to the previous year.
Michael Skubala has got everyone at Sincil Bank singing from the same hymn sheet, with last season’s play-off near-miss followed by a strong start this year, which has them back at the top of the third division.
Skubala, a former Leeds United coach, has brilliantly combined youth and experience to develop a squad capable of competing with the majority of the division’s teams, with some exceptional performances already drawing the attention inside the Imps organization.
With that in mind, we asked Football League World’s City fan commentator Gary Hutchinson of The Stacey West website which player would be missed the most in January, should transfer interest arose.
Ethan Erhahon continues to prove himself as a Lincoln City midfielder.
West Bromwich Albion and Hull City have also been connected with City’s Player of the Season from the previous season, demonstrating how important he has been to the Sincil Bank outfit recently.
With the 23-year-old set to make his Championship debut soon, it’s no wonder that Hutchinson sees the Scot as the most significant loss if he leaves, though he believes Skubala’s squad-building efforts will restrict any losses in January.
When asked about any mid-season departures that would affect the team, Hutchinson told FLW: “I don’t think any player is irreplaceable, and I believe that if you lose someone in this day and age as a League One club, there will be a substitute available.
“Whether it is a Championship player who is out of favor, a young Premier League player who can be loaned in, or a League Two player who is performing well, nobody is irreplaceable, and I believe that is very important to emphasize.
Ethan Erhahon’s Lincoln City League One stats 24/25 (FotMob).
Appearances
10
Starts
10
Minutes played
900
Pass accuracy
82.0%
Tackles won.
9
Interceptions
20
As of 22/10/24
“However, I believe that losing Ethan Erhahon would be a serious concern, and transfer interest has emerged.
“The problem is that Erhahon plays in defensive midfield, as number six, and he is perhaps the only devoted player we have in that position.
“I do think that as a player in that position, you have to have a degree of experience as well as intelligence, so you can’t just loan a really good defensive midfielder from a Premier League side, because very few 18, 19 or 20-year-olds have got the ability to play that role in the way Erhahon does.”
Michael Skubala’s Lincoln City project is critical to Sincil Bank’s success.
While Erhahon has been in charge in the middle of the park, City have been more than the sum of their parts under Skubala, who has been in his current position for about a year.
With a squad built so that everyone knows their role and a depth that allows players to be swapped out when fitness and availability dictate, Hutchinson is confident that the Imps will continue their promotion push regardless of any January action, such is the club’s current strength.
Hutchinson added: “He would be the most tough to replace, but I believe everyone else in the squad, except captain Paudie O’Connor, would be interchangeable.
“That is not a slur on the players, but the fact is that we have a really fine roster of 24 senior professionals, virtually all of whom can play first-team football for Lincoln, and it would not be detrimental to the first team.
“So really good squad-building has left us in a good position, and I don’t think anybody is irreplaceable.”
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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