Latest news with #Skubala
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wrexham round off season in style with Lincoln win
Wrexham kept the promotion celebrations going as they signed off from League One with a comfortable and clinical win at Lincoln Lee and Ryan Longman's second-half goals earned a 27th victory of a campaign that sees them return to the second tier for the first time in 43 took Phil Parkinson's side onto 92 points, ending the midtable Imps' unbeaten run at home that had stretched back to Skubala's Lincoln finished 11th in the final table, 15 points ahead of the relegation places and 17 points off the Wrexham, runners up behind title-winners Birmingham City, again underlined why they will be playing Championship football next season after an unprecedented third straight promotion as they made the most of the chances they forged, despite an under-par opening period. Providing the quality when it mattered and staying strong defensively when needed has been key for Parkinson's team who will now be playing second-tier football in three months' time – two years on from being in was fitting that it was Lee who opened the scoring too; the only change from last week's promotion-sealing win over Charlton Athletic, the midfielder was among those who had been in the side that had earned that first step out of the National his goal was needed too. Wrexham were – understandably – below par to begin with, with Lincoln perhaps frustrated they failed to make more of their opponent's off-key first-half drabness was in contrast to the final day colour provided by supporters, certainly among the travelling Wrexham a fancy-dress farewell to the third tier, jockeys, nuns, clowns and – of course – Deadpool all made the most of the all at a ground where, 17 years ago to the day, Wrexham had been forced to say farewell to the Football League in their final match before relegation to are different now and it is why supporters were keen to make the most of the though, before the celebrations there was time for remembrance and reflection, with fans of both sides staying solemnly silent as respects were paid 40 years on from the Bradford City fire had been the opponents on that tragic day at Valley Parade with two Imps fans – Bill Stacey and Jim West – among the 56 who died. Mr Stacey's family and Lincoln captain Paudie O'Connor laid a wreath in front of the Stacey West play began following the tribute, it was Lincoln who enjoyed the better of the opening 45 not for some sharp reactions from Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, Skubala's side could have easily taken a lead into the break with both James Gardner and Reeco Hackett Wrexham emerged from the interval far more like their promotion-winning selves, with their rediscovered energy rewarded 53 minutes in as Lee powered a header home from Longman's cross from the was a sweeping move from Wrexham for the breakthrough, and it was another impressive passing combination that provided the second with Longman this time finishing after being played in by James substitute Jack Moylan was denied at the near post by Okonkwo as the Imps tried to dampen the party Wrexham kept their clean sheet to continue the celebrations to end an historic season for the north Wales club. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales:"We wanted to finish in a professional manner and we spoke to the lads about that."The perception of the group celebrations last week and the lads jetting out to Vegas this week – but in between that we wanted to finish the season well."92 points from 46 games, I'm really pleased with that and I'm also delighted with 26 points from the last 11 away games – that's an outstanding return at any level of football."Difficult first half, the wind was probably stronger than people realised and we didn't quite get the control we wanted."But I thought second half, certainly for the first 20-25 minutes, we were different class."Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:"I honestly thought we were so good first half – we did everything but score. You saw a team that wanted to take it to Wrexham."But you always know against Wrexham that if you don't score they stick it out and they win 1-0."They did what they do, which is put it in the box and score to make it 1-0 and then it becomes a really tough afternoon. The lads were deflated."Not where we wanted to finish this season but I'm really proud of the lads and really proud of what they've been doing."
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lichens Thrive in Harsh Mars-Like Conditions, Groundbreaking Study Finds
Lichens are true pioneers, setting themselves up in environments so harsh as to be considered virtually barren. Given time, they can lay the foundations for whole fields of stone, sand, or even rooftops to transform into diverse ecosystems. So why not Mars? A team of biologists from Jagiellonian University in Poland and the Polish Academy of Sciences investigated just that in an experiment conducted inside the Polish Academy of Sciences' Space Research Center. They wanted to know which physical and biochemical properties might help lichens survive Mars-like conditions while remaining metabolically active. "Our study is the first to demonstrate that the metabolism of the fungal partner in lichen symbiosis remained active while being in an environment resembling the surface of Mars," says lead author Kaja Skubala, a botanist from Jagiellonian University in Poland. "These findings expand our understanding of biological processes under simulated Martian conditions and reveal how hydrated organisms respond to ionizing radiation – one of the most critical challenges for survival and habitability on Mars." Lichens are bizarre structures in which a fungus and an algae or cyanobacteria partner up to form a colony that can survive conditions they never would on their own. They can enter a state of dormancy when times are tough, reviving on contact with water to feed and grow once more. Like the tardigrades that sometimes inhabit their nooks and crannies their ability to survive Earth's harshest conditions makes them prime candidates for extraterrestrial study. Because the fungi-algae duos are fundamentally reliant upon one another, each kind of lichen is still named as if it is a single species. The two species entered in this Mars simulation were the crusty, pale, and bulbous Diploschistes muscorum, and the dark, branching, seaweed-like Cetraria aculeata. Each lichen was awoken with a light misting of water before being placed inside a vacuum chamber for five hours, with the first two hours set to a Martian daytime surface temperature of 18 degrees Celsius (about 64 degrees Fahrenheit), dropping gradually into a two-hour-long Martian night at -26 degrees Celsius. Gas consisting of 95 percent carbon dioxide was pumped into the tank to simulate a Martian atmosphere at ground level, with humidity ranging from an extremely arid 8 to 32 percent. The pressure was set to a very low 5 to 7 millibars, which is more than 1000 millibars lower than the pressure of Earth's atmosphere at sea level. How lichens cope with Martian levels of UV radiation and other harsh conditions has already been studied extensively, so Skubala and team were focused instead on the ionizing power of X-rays. The lichens were zapped with a 50-gray dose of X-ray radiation, comparable to what the surface of Mars can receive in a year via energetic Solar particles and flares. The red planet has a thin atmosphere and no global magnetic field; two factors that protect us Earthlings from the solar onslaught. Only one of the species survived these conditions: D. muscorum. The researchers think its heavy crust, laced with calcium oxalate crystals inside and out, might have protected it from radiation damage. "While calcium oxalate has a relatively low atomic number, which makes it less effective at absorbing X-rays than heavier elements, the dense crystal deposits on the [lichen's] surface could allow calcium atoms to interact with low-energy X-rays, absorbing part of their energy," the authors write. The other species, C. aculeata, did not fare so well, though it was selected for its ability to survive extreme Earth environments in the Arctic and Antarctic. The scientists knew the melanin pigments that give this lichen its dark brown to black colour would protect it from unbridled Martian sunburn, since the coloration can filter radiation in the UVB and UVA spectrum. But melanin is also a powerful antioxidant, which the team thought may help it withstand ionizing radiation. Yet, C. aculeata experienced high levels of stress from the X-rays, which showed up as damaged membranes, failing enzymes, and hydrogen peroxide build-up. Notably, this lichen has no calcium oxalate, which may be a deciding factor in Mars survival. Of course, whether we should introduce new species to unknown environments to achieve our goals is a different question – one we humans don't exactly have the best track record with. That's if it's even possible: a simulation like this provides just a small taste of the harsh realities of the red planet. "Ultimately, this research deepens our knowledge of lichen adaptation and their potential for colonizing extraterrestrial environments," Skubala says. This research was published in IMA Fungus. Climate Change Could Wipe 40% Off Global Economy, Study Predicts Oxygen Levels in Earth's Lakes Are Plummeting, Study Reveals Scientists Discovered An Amazing Practical Use For World's Leftover Coffee Grounds
New York Times
01-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Michael Skubala interview: ‘I didn't realise how big Leeds was – when I left, I definitely knew'
If Illan Meslier had been more aware of where his near post was, you wonder how different the fates of Leeds United and Michael Skubala might have been. Everton, 18th, were hosting Leeds, 17th, in a Premier League relegation 'six-pointer' on February 18, 2023. Skubala was in the away dugout, managing his third game as Leeds' interim head coach having stepped up from his usual role in charge of their under-21 side. Advertisement Midway through the second half, home captain Seamus Coleman made a run from deep, beat Robin Koch to Alex Iwobi's lofted pass and hit it first time, three yards from the byline. Leeds goalkeeper Meslier had left a four-yard gap between himself and that near post. The ball sailed past him into the net as he stood still, rooted to the spot and dumbfounded. Everton won the match 1-0 and Leeds ended the day 19th in the table, two points and two places from safety. Chairman Andrea Radrizzani felt he had to act. Javi Gracia was drafted in before the next match and Skubala dropped back down into his coaching staff. ©aptain ©lutch. — Everton (@Everton) February 18, 2023 Everton were the better team that day, but if that goal had not gone in and Leeds had got a point at Goodison Park, the building blocks were there for Skubala. He had already overseen two encouraging performances (an away draw and a home loss) against Manchester United in the preceding fortnight. Skubala was keen to see the job out until the end of the season and he thinks taking something away from that trip to Everton would have secured him that post. 'By not getting a result there, it puts pressure on other people in the building and more panic,' Skubala says. 'That's what happens in a relegation battle. People think it's just the team. It's not, because (of the) millions you lose, (the) clubs you lose. It's a big deal, isn't it? 'It would have been a really big decision to stick with me. It was a really big decision not to stick with me. It's a really big decision to change because of all the finances and what's involved in football at that level if you get relegated. 'You know now (because of Leeds' failure to rebound from the Championship at the first time of asking last season) if you come out of the Premier League, it's not as easy to get back up.' Skubala is speaking to The Athletic at Lincoln City's plush £1.3million ($1.7m) training ground. This has been Skubala's workplace for the past 16 months, where he has been leading the League One side. The money for the development was generated by the now third-division club's run to the FA Cup quarter-final in 2016-17 as a fifth-tier, non-League outfit. It was spent on facilities rather than signings. The ownership's wider perspective appealed to Skubala when he took the head coach job in November 2023. Advertisement His run as Leeds' interim head coach and the exposure it provided saw job offers land in his inbox. Nothing suited him until he met the people running Lincoln. He says he moved to Sincil Bank (currently known as the LNER Stadium thanks to a sponsorship deal) because of the leadership of chairman Clive Nates, chief executive Liam Scully and director of football Jez George. The recruitment process was reassuringly rigorous. It was enough to prise him away from the under-21 head coach position at Thorp Arch. That itself was a role Skubala had waited for when he came to Leeds in July 2022. He was working with England's under-18s and had been looking for an under-21 position in the top flight. 'Some of them didn't feel right, and I wasn't sure, but I knew the rich history of Leeds,' he says. 'You only have to go into the club (to see) the feel of the club and the size of a club. If you're going to work in a club, it doesn't have to be the best club. You feel the responsibility for youth development. You only have to look at that board (of academy graduates) and think you want to bring players through. You want to be part of that history.' Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph are two of the standout names from that first year Skubala had with Leeds' youngsters. He recalls playing Gray at right-back, to some odd looks, in a Premier League 2 game at Aston Villa in that first August. A year later, Daniel Farke made the same switch with the same player in the club's first team. Joseph is still with Leeds and remains one of the academy kids Skubala admired most during their time together: 'It'd be great to see him, one day, even push through and be a starter, even get to the Premier League. I know he wants to do that. I wouldn't bet against him.' Skubala's time with Gray, Joseph and the under-21s was curtailed by first-team business. After a run of two wins in 17 matches, head coach Jesse Marsch was sacked on February 6, 2023. While the club looked for a permanent replacement, Skubala was made interim boss. Advertisement 'Jesse went, and they needed someone to steady the ship, support, (and) try to drive it,' he says. 'They knew what I'd done with the under-21s. They knew the coaching, knew that would be no problem. I had connections with the players. 'The senior pros were fantastic at the time. I still speak to Coops (Liam Cooper) over messages. Luke Ayling and Pat (Bamford), all those senior players are top players and good people. What they did in their career and getting the club there (to the Premier League), it can't be underestimated how hard they worked for that badge. 'I know when Bill (Ayling's nickname) and Liam left recently, it hurt. Klichy (Mateusz Klich) and people did so much stuff for that club, at that point, to try to get it back in the Premier League. It's tough. It's really tough.' Skubala made a good impression. He had two days to prepare a demoralised group for a trip to Old Trafford. Wilfried Gnonto scored inside 60 seconds and Leeds were two goals up not long after half-time. It was the resurgence the fans needed to see, even if the hosts did peg them back to 2-2 by full-time. That was followed, unusually, by the reverse fixture at Elland Road four days later (the game in Manchester had been postponed from the weekend the previous September when all matches were called off following the Queen's death). Skubala thinks his side were on top for 60 minutes of that game before late strikes by Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho delivered an away win. He may have been fighting fires, but the interim coach wanted to make the right impression. 'I made sure of little things,' he says. 'I spoke to the comms team and said, 'Look, this is a massive game for Leeds United fans. I have to respect the game. What can I say right and what can I say wrong?'. I made sure not to call them 'United'. I had to call them Manchester United. Little things. I wanted to have the respect of the fans by not getting things wrong.' While Skubala was overseeing those games with Manchester United and Everton, director of football Victor Orta was pursuing Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot on the continent as a full-time replacement for Marsch. The latter looked closer to signing than the former, but neither joined in the end. Orta was short of both time and suitable candidates. The Everton loss forced Radrizzani's hand, and Gracia is where they ended up. Advertisement Gracia delivered 10 points from his first six games. Leeds were up to 13th in the table, still only two points above the drop zone, but with four teams between them and danger. Then came a watershed moment. Leeds hosted Crystal Palace, who had won one of their previous 13 matches. Gracia's side converted one of seven shots on target in the first half. Marc Guehi then profited from sloppy set-piece defending to level on the stroke of half-time. Nothing in that opening period signalled the Londoners would then score four unanswered goals in the second half. Left shellshocked by the experience, Leeds took one point from the next 12 on offer with an aggregate deficit of 13 goals to four. As several players have said since, Skubala does not recall any half-time issues. Ultimately, he feels the chasm between the philosophies of Marsch and Gracia was too great a leap to make successfully midway through a season. 'Players are like kids sometimes, with fresh ideas, fresh voices, fresh this, fresh that,' he says. 'That wasn't from me, but it was like, 'New manager in, I've got to sit up and take notice a little bit more'. 'You saw that, but like most clubs, when they have a bounce, they then level out. You see that in any league, in any club. That's where this club's (Lincoln) great — more long-term thinking, rather than just a short-term boost. 'For me, it was just a complete swing of how we were built playing to how the new style was. You go from more of a Red Bull style, aggressive (Marcelo) Bielsa style, to a positional style. The two identities and what the players had been doing over a certain amount of time didn't meet enough.' Leeds sacked Gracia too, with four games to go. Sam Allardyce followed — as did relegation. Skubala learned plenty from Marsch, Gracia and Allardyce, even if it did end up as a doomed campaign. With Farke's arrival that summer, Skubala returned, happily, to his under-21 brief. Advertisement He saw first-hand just how challenging that summer of transition was. Skubala noted the more minor changes the new manager instigated, such as an interior overhaul of the training ground's reception. It was all, as far as Skubala saw, an effort to shake off the stench of relegation. 'It was a tough summer to manage,' he says. 'I learnt a lot seeing how he managed that, being strong with players on the way in, which was good. You can see now that he has good relationships with the lads. 'Some of them, I look back and think, at the time, there was a bit of toing and froing with agents, but he's built relationships. How he uses his staff. He's got some experienced staff he trusts. They're a brilliant staff. There's lots of little things that make a big impact.' Skubala packed a lot into his 16 months in West Yorkshire. One of the key lessons he took to Lincoln from his time with Leeds was the difference football clubs can make to a supporter's daily life. 'I look at it as a brilliant chapter,' he says. 'I loved it: loved the fans, loved the club, loved the staff, loved the stadium staff. I'm one of those people that, quietly, tries to build relationships with people and respects them, whether they're a cleaner or whether they're the head coach. I value everybody's input into the club. I say that to the players here: 'Sign a shirt, because it makes a big difference'. 'The biggest thing you learn about being around Leeds (the club) is how it makes the biggest difference to people's lives. We sometimes can underestimate that because we work in it. But, actually, there are so many people that just live for the Saturday or live for the Tuesday or live for Mateo (Joseph) to say 'Hello'. It could change their lives. 'Underneath it all, that's the bit I'll probably learn with Leeds. I loved to walk anywhere in the country and someone would come and chat to me. When I went to Leeds, I knew it was a big club, but I didn't realise how big it was with the fanbase. When I left, I definitely knew.'
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lincoln loanee Cadamarteri likely to miss run-in
Lincoln City forward Bailey Cadamarteri is expected to miss the remainder of the season because of a groin on-loan 19-year-old will return to parent club Sheffield Wednesday for further assessment, but Imps boss Michael Skubala says his "season is probably done".Cadamarteri has scored five goals in 23 League One appearances for Lincoln in an injury-interrupted season.A 10-minute appearance off the bench in a 4-1 win against Crawley earlier in March is all he has managed since he was first sidelined with a groin issue in mid-January."When he had his groin injury before we knew there is a high recurrence rate with that," Skubala told BBC Radio Lincolnshire."He obviously came back for a little bit but he has felt it again, so we think that could be pretty bad news for him." Skubala said the latest injury setback is a "big shame" for a teenager that was "really starting to get going"."We saw some good moments from him before he got injured and then unfortunately he has got injured [again] and that will be it for the season," the Imps boss added.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Imps forward Makama has 'crazy' potential
Jovon Makama's hat-trick against Bristol Rovers was a glimpse of the Lincoln City forward's "crazy" potential, according to boss Michael Skubala. The 21-year-old netted his first professional treble in Saturday's 5-0 League One thrashing of Bristol Rovers. He broke the deadlock before the break and scored the Imps' final two goals to complete what Skubala described as a "special performance". "When I came into the building 18 months ago, I said this kid has got talent, you are just going to have to wait for it," he told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. "But when he does it, and gets it right like today, you can see his technical quality, his power, his physicality and everything he has got." Lincoln City 5-0 Bristol Rovers Lincoln forward Makama signs new three-year deal Red Imps Club: Lincoln City The hat-trick took Makama's goal tally to 11 in what has been a breakout season, having managed a total of four goals in the previous two campaigns after his debut in August 2022. Makama showed great strength and composure for his first two goals on Saturday, driving into the box before beating Rovers goalkeeper Jed Wallace with fierce finishes, while his third was a well-placed effort into the bottom corner after the visitors failed to clear a corner. "The goals were magnificent," Skubala added. "He absolutely destroyed their left side and just looked so good today. But I still think he has more to improve and think he can get better, and that's the crazy bit. "His challenge is to make sure he keeps pushing and keeps making the most of the potential we all think he has. Today, he was just unplayable."
