Michael Skubala deserves credit for Lincoln City decision - player is completely revitalised | OneFootball

Jovon Makama has been revitalised since Michael Skubala made a bold decision about the Lincoln City youngster.

Jovon Makama has been revitalised since Michael Skubala made a bold decision about the Lincoln City youngster.

In moving the academy product to the right wing, away from the centre-forward slot, the Imps head coach has boosted Makama’s stock hugely.

Makama struggling to hit the heights through the middle

Makama had been struggling. He found himself a scapegoat for Lincoln’s shortcomings in front of goal, being one of the numerous faltering attackers so far this season. However, he has found new energy and excitement in a different role without the City system.

Head coach Skubala has chopped and changed, trying to find a solution to the problems that had the Imps slumping down the table and in a poor stretch of results.

While it remains to be seen if the bad run is behind Lincoln, after an imposing victory over relegation-threatened Crawley Town and only a narrow defeat at runaway league-leaders Birmingham City, the signs of improvement are there. The Birmingham defeat can almost be discarded from the form book, with Lincoln opting to go for a more defensive approach against a team simply too good for Sky Bet League One.

Skubala seems to have found at least one solution, with youngster Makama coming into his own as a right-winger. He netted and notched an assist against both Barnsley and Crawley, the former coming in a substitute cameo as Lincoln fought back to a more respectable 4-3 defeat than the drubbing it was otherwise destined to be.

He has always had pace in his locker, but with a tendency to struggle against physical centre-backs, the shift to the right flank has worked wonders.

A new option out wide for Lincoln City

Makama’s new role has accentuated the best aspects of his game, his pace and energy, while helping reduce the need for the more physically demanding side of things.

The Lincoln academy product has been in-step with Freddie Draper over recent seasons, but while his contemporary was sent on a successful loan to League Two Walsall, Makama was sat on the fringes of the Imps team. He had popped up with goals at important times, none more so than a late winner against Leyton Orient last season as City made an unlikely late push towards the play-offs.

However, this is the most consistently exciting he has looked. Against Barnsley and Crawley he found the attacking output to match his new uptick in performances.

Data from Who Scored suggests Makama is playing better on the right wing too, with an average rating of 6.91 compared to 6.23 when he has played as a striker this term.

Michael Skubala has hit the jackpot with the new Jovon Makama

Skubala has hit the jackpot with his decision to move Makama out wide, completely re-energising a player who was faltering, not always because of his own doing, and becoming a target of fan frustrations.

As a right-winger, the 21-year-old has a new lease of life, and one that Lincoln will hope pushes them back up the table towards a strong top-half finish.