The departure of Ethan Erhahon inevitably raised questions about who could anchor Lincoln City’s midfield.
Conor McGrandles, in his third spell at the club, has been tasked with filling that void. The eye-test suggests he’s stepped up, and he seems to get my Man of the Match every week.
Do the numbers agree? Or has he always been this good, and it’s only now that the eyes notice, because they’re not drawn to Erhahon?
Let’s crunch some numbers.
Across both seasons, McGrandles posts broadly comparable on-ball involvement. Action success is slightly lower this term (65.7% in 2025/26 versus 67.6% in 2024/25), which tells you he has not suddenly become safer.
The mix of passes is where the nuance lives. Forward pass volume is a shade down per match (8.00 vs 8.91), yet accuracy is noticeably higher (67.0% vs 61.4%). That reads like a smarter selection rather than a greater volume, a small but real improvement in efficiency.
Passes to the final third are almost unchanged for accuracy (62.5% this season, 62.3% last), but there is a modest bump in attempts per game (4.00 vs 3.70).
In plain terms, it feels he is finding similar quality in advanced zones a little more often, without forcing it. However, remember the sample size here – 1147 minutes to 3462.
The most persuasive part of the “post-Erhahon improvement” claim is him having more anticipation, higher up the pitch. Interceptions per match are up from 3.81 to 4.93, which reflects better reading of play. Recoveries are up slightly overall (11.00 vs 10.65), but crucially, a larger share of them now arrive in the opposition half (52.6% vs 48.0%).
That suggests either a higher starting position or a more assertive collective press with McGrandles profiting from it. However, this is a team thing, not just a McGrandles thing.
You can see the pattern in individual games. At Peterborough, he logged 15 recoveries with eight in the attacking half, plus five of seven defensive duels won. Against Plymouth, he produced 14 recoveries with 10 in the attacking half and a perfect 11 from 11 on defensive duels.
These are the snapshots that underpin the territory tilt.
The counterweight is duel success. Overall duel win rate edges down from 58.5% to 57.8%. More specifically, defensive duels are where the drop is clearest, from an excellent 71.5% last season to 65.5% this season. He is actually contesting slightly more defensive duels per match now (6.00 vs 5.72), which could reflect role or game state, but he is converting them a little less often.
Second-ball work trends the other way and helps the overall picture. Loose-ball duels rise from 2.16 to 2.71 per match, with win rate improving from 50.5% to 52.6%. That marries neatly with the uptick in interceptions and attacking-half recoveries: more proactive positioning and better reactions to broken play.
However, these are really narrow margins, and it would be difficult to make an argument for him doing a huge amount differently, aside from the minor nuances.
McGrandles remains a continuity player rather than a creator in the final third. Shot assists are down this season on a per-match basis (0.14 vs 0.26), though the sample is smaller.
Dribbling is negligible in both seasons. In 2024/25, he attempted 19 dribbles and completed nine; this term he has attempted just three and completed three, which is functionally the same story, only in lower volume as per the lower sample size.
Expected goals remains near zero in both years (0.014 per match this season, 0.016 last), which fits the tape.
Positionally, he is toggling across the pivot and the right side of midfield again this season, much as he did last. That explains why many headline numbers sit close together year on year. The clearest shift is not the shirt he wears on the graphic but where he finishes actions. More of his regains now occur higher, and his forward passing is a fraction more selective and accurate.
Those are incremental gains rather than a reinvention.
So, has he got better since Ethan Erhahon left? No, not really, probably just more appreciated.
If better means “more progressive on the ball,” the answer is mixed. He is not attempting more forward passes, but he is completing a higher share of them and making slightly more deliveries into the final third at similar accuracy.
If better means “more dominant defensively,” that is also mixed. He is involved in a few more defensive duels each match yet winning a lower percentage.
If better means “reading and shaping the game’s territory,” the answer looks like yes. Interceptions are up, recoveries are up, and a larger proportion of those regains are now in the attacking half.
Put simply, the numbers are similar across the board, which in itself has value during a major midfield transition. Within that similarity, there are small, tangible improvements in anticipation and in advancing possession cleanly rather than frequently. It is not a leap, it is a nudge in the right direction.
That is probably what we needed most in the first stretch after Erhahon, and McGrandles is delivering it quietly, which is very much his way.