Lincoln have faith in double act as they return to second tier
Quick summary
Lincoln City express confidence in a key player or coaching partnership as they prepare for their return to England's second tier (the Championship) for the 2026-27 season.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceThe club will be led by two joint head coaches, Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen, during their Championship campaign
The last thing the Championship needs is another spying scandal, so when a lorry emblazoned with KGB parked up alongside Lincoln City’s training ground on Tuesday lunchtime there was laughter as staff pondered whether the Soviet Union were examining their set pieces. It shows the relaxed atmosphere at one of the second tier’s newest clubs, one that has witnessed a summer of change yet maintained continuity by appointing joint head coaches.
Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen have replaced Michael Skubala, who led the Imps to 103 points and promotion to this level for the first time in 66 years before leaving for Bristol City. It was a symbiotic appointment because while the former assistants were devising a sales pitch to the club’s hierarchy, the wheels were already in motion to promote from within. Their plan is to banish English football’s memories of Liverpool’s ill-fated pairing of Roy Evans and Gérard Houllier. The duo are doing final preparations for Saturday’s season opener at the Riverside against Middlesbrough, who have spent over £20m on summer signings – Lincoln have spent a quarter of that across their 142-year history, indicating the task ahead.
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What happened
Lincoln City are set to return to the Championship after earning promotion, and the club's leadership has voiced faith in a key double act — likely a player pairing or a manager-coach combination — to handle the step up in quality. The article frames the promotion as a significant milestone for the club and examines which figures will be central to their survival and competitiveness in the second tier. It likely profiles the tactical and personal dynamic that the club is relying on as it faces a much tougher level of opposition.
Chance analysis
Lincoln City returning to the Championship after promotion represents a major challenge, with a well-documented survival gap between promoted clubs and established second-tier sides. A club publicly placing its faith in a specific duo signals confidence in continuity and identity as their primary survival strategy. For prediction systems, Lincoln should be treated as underdogs early in the season, with any assessment of their prospects hinging heavily on the form and availability of the highlighted individuals.
Lincoln's Championship prospects depend on the performance of their key duo, with optimism tempered by the typical promoted-side survival challenge.
Treat Lincoln as promoted underdogs in the Championship; their early-season results will be heavily influenced by the form of the highlighted duo.