Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala has sought to calm the excitement around tomorrow’s top-of-the-table clash with Cardiff City by insisting the result will not define his side’s bid for promotion.
The Imps head to Wales on a 17-game unbeaten run that has seen them close the gap on the Bluebirds to just a single point.
Still Only Three Points Available
Despite the magnitude of this fixture, Skubala has sought to downplay its importance, insisting that it offers the same three points to the winner as any other fixture.
The Imps’ boss had this to say to BBC Radio Lincolnshire:
“I know it feels like a big game because it is first versus second, but the result of this game is not going to dictate the outcome of where we are, successful or not, over the course of the season.”
That unbeaten run has propelled Skubala’s side firmly into not only the race for automatic promotion but also to win the League One title, providing them with a ten-point buffer on third-placed Bolton Wanderers in the process.
The City boss, however, is approaching this fixture as he would any other.
“It’s not about unbeaten runs, it’s not about the big game at Cardiff, it’s about three points. I keep saying it, and it might bore people, but it’s the truth – this game is worth the same amount, and we have approached it the same and think about it the same.”
A United Camp
The manager’s comments were echoed by his captain, Tendayi Darikwa, who added that it is not all doom and gloom for whichever side loses on Saturday.
Darikwa said:
“No one is going to get promoted on the weekend, no matter who wins the game.”
“It’s not the end of the road if someone loses.”
The 34-year-old has once again been in superb form this season, contributing three goals and three assists from his 33 appearances so far in League One, but believes the clash at the Cardiff City Stadium is just another game.
“It’s another game we are excited for. It’s the two top teams in the division, and it will be built up as a special occasion, but at the end of the day, it’s another game on a long journey.”
This clash won’t determine whether either of these sides is promoted to the Championship come the end of the season, but it will be a giant step towards that aim for the side that comes out on top.
