- Founded 1884
- Stadium Sincil Bank
- Manager Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 9
- Goals Conceded 19
- Yellow Cards 27
- Total Red Cards 3
Lincoln Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Lincoln City are back in the second tier after 65 years and have not looked out of place. Champions of League One with 103 points, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s side sit 13th with four clean sheets from eight games. Seven goals scored is the second-lowest total in the division, which is where the work lies. Below, we take a look at Lincoln’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: George Wickens – 74% – The best player at the club and one of the goalkeepers of the season so far. Twenty-eight saves and four clean sheets from every available minute, with a club-leading 63 progressive passes and 39 passes into the penalty area from his own distribution. Wickens has been the foundation of Lincoln’s survival bid.
RWB: Andrei Coubis – 68% – Three starts from four appearances, with an assist and six chances created in 309 minutes. An error leading to a goal is the blot, but the attacking rate from right wing-back is promising.
RCB: Deji Elerewe – 65% – Sixteen interceptions and 43 clearances both lead the club, with 43 duels won, 23 aerials and six blocked shots from every available minute. Four clean sheets. Elerewe has stepped up a division without any visible difficulty.
CB: Sonny Bradley – 68% – Four starts, 30 clearances and six blocked shots – a high rate in 334 minutes. Bradley brings the experience to a back three that is otherwise young, and Lincoln look more secure with him in it.
LCB: Ryley Towler – 66% – Ten blocked shots leads the club, with 26 clearances, 15 aerial duels won and 10 interceptions from six starts. Towler has been the quiet, dependable member of the three.
LWB: Adam Reach – 62% – Forty-seven passes into the penalty area leads the club, with a goal, 10 shots and two direct free-kicks. Reach has been Lincoln’s main source of delivery from open play and has played all eight games.
RCM: Tom Bayliss – 67% – Three starts and a clear-cut chance created, with seven corners taken. An error leading to a shot is the caveat on a small sample.
LCM: Conor McGrandles – 59% – Twelve tackles won and 42 passes into the final third both lead the club, with 13 interceptions, 23 possessions regained in the middle third and four clean sheets. McGrandles does an enormous amount of unglamorous work and the rating undersells it.
RAM: Reeco Hackett – 65% – Two goals, both penalties converted, plus an assist and a club-leading nine chances created from five starts. Hackett is the closest thing Lincoln have to a match-winner and the numbers support more minutes.
LAM: Ben House – 59% – A goal, an assist and a club-leading 29 touches in the opposition box, with 44 duels won and 10 tackles won. House works hard in the press; two big chances missed is the frustration.
ST: Freddie Draper – 61% – Two goals from a club-high 12 shots with six on target, and 25 aerial duels won. The other numbers are alarming: 83 duels lost, 34 fouls conceded and four yellow cards are all the worst figures at the club by a wide margin. Draper battles constantly and gives away far too much.
Lincoln’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Reeco Hackett
- Free-kicks: Adam Reach, Reeco Hackett
- Corners: Ivan Varfolomeev, Tom Bayliss
Ivan Varfolomeev has taken 15 of Lincoln’s corners to Tom Bayliss’ 7. Adam Reach has had two of the direct free-kicks. Reeco Hackett has converted from the spot.
Lincoln FAQs
How have Lincoln started the 2026/27 season?
Respectably. Lincoln are 13th on 11 points from eight games, with three wins and two draws, and have kept four clean sheets. Seven goals scored is the problem.
Who is Lincoln’s best player this season?
Goalkeeper George Wickens on 74%, with 28 saves and four clean sheets from every available minute.
Where did Lincoln finish in the 2025/26 League One season?
Lincoln City finished the 2025/26 League One season as champions, recording 103 points and ending a 65-year absence from the second tier.
Who is the Lincoln manager?
Lincoln are led by joint head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw. The pair were assistants under former head coach Michael Skubala, who left for Bristol City.
Who is the current Lincoln captain?
Tendayi Darikwa is the current captain of Lincoln City. The former Zimbabwe international has been with the Imps since 2024.