The academy starlet, classy operator and Bassette clamour that bode well for Coventry City
Coventry City fans, like their team, could do with a bit of a pick-me-up after a sluggish start to the campaign in which ridiculous pre-season expectations have quickly fallen flat in the cold and harsh reality of Championship football.
The Sky Blues’ biggest affliction appears to be a lack of consistency, blowing away Blackburn Rovers one night, coming up short against Sheffield Wednesday a few days later – all of which has got supporters stressing about what lies ahead for the remaining 37 games.
Eight points from their opening nine league matches doesn’t make for comfortable reading, but we have to remember that the season is only nine games old and there’s plenty of football left to play. Mark Robins has shown in recent seasons that a poor start doesn’t have to equate to a struggling campaign and bad finish. With that in mind, here are five reasons why Coventry City’s season will come good, sooner or later.
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Bobby back on it
It’s fair to say that like the majority of his teammates, Bobby Thomas didn’t start his second season with the Sky Blues in the manner in which he’d hoped, grappling to find the form that had made him virtually ever present and one of the team’s most consistent performers in his first year at the club. The fact that he was dropped after the 1-0 win at Bristol City in the Carabao Cup signalled that something wasn’t quite right with the defender’s form. However, after two or three games as an unused sub the 23-year-old was put back in against Watford and hasn’t looked back, growing in stature with every game and now heading towards near his best. The only remaining issue is finding the right central defensive partnership. Liam Kitching has also struggled to find his form amid growing calls for Luis Binks to be restored to the starting line-up. But whoever is picked, a settled partnership will help bring solidity, understanding and more clean sheets.
Sheaf shaping up
Ben Sheaf has been a huge miss due to injury at the start to the season but now, after a couple of games to get himself back up to speed, the Sky Blues skipper looks back to near his classy and influential best. Some felt he was culpable for giving the ball away in the dying minutes leading to Saturday’s stoppage time defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, although manager Mark Robins was adamant it was Milan van Ewijk who was at fault for playing the ball to him when he wasn’t ready, or correctly positioned, to receive it in the first place. Anyway, that aside, the key midfielder has looked pretty good over the last two games where he is complemented by Josh Eccles – one of the early success stories of the season so far. The Academy graduate has risen in stature since taking the armband on a couple of occasions and really looks like his game has matured this season, stepping up to become a mainstay of the midfield. There’s an impressive partnership in the making there.
Slow burning strikers
In Haji Wright and Ellis Simms, Coventry City were the envy of many a Championship manager last season with each boasting 19 goals come May. We know from experience that they’re slow burners, both taking time to get going in their first years with the club when Simms, in particular, came under much scrutiny with many wondering if he was the real deal. The centre-forward, however, proved his critics wrong and played a key role along with the impressive USA international who has joined his striking teammate in the firing line with accusations of not looking interested enough. They both know where the back of the net is and, for whatever reason, appear to be short on confidence lately. But as the old saying goes, ‘form is temporary, class is permanent,’ and we have to believe that they’ll both get up and running sooner or later.
Attacking magic
Robins claimed at the start of the season that he has the best and strongest attacking options at his disposal since he’s been at the club, with the likes of Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ephron Mason-Clark and Norman Bassette added to the mix. Thomas-Asante has blown a bit hot and cold but is proven and knows the level, having already shown what he’s capable of on occasions – most notably against Blackburn when he led the line brilliantly. Mason-Clark, meanwhile, is, quite understandably, still getting to grips with the step up from League One but has, on a number of occasions been forced to fill in, most recently out of position on right. A right footed player, he is far better suited to the left where he’s competing with Haji Wright, and able to come inside onto his favoured foot to get his shots off. That said, he has gone agonisingly close on a handful of occasions, drifting in at the back post from both flanks to have chances that he’s not quite managed to steer over the line. And then there’s Bassette, an explosive centre-forward and raw talent who excites virtually every time he gets hold of the ball. Robins is clearly breaking the lad in gently, but he showed enough against Spurs to get fans clamouring for more and his time will no doubt come, whether that be adding a bit of late magic from the bench or playing a greater role from the start.
And finally, trust the process (and MR)!
How does the saying go, ‘In Robins, we trust’.
Mark Robins has done a remarkable job over the last seven or so years – a fact widely recognised by most people both within and outside the football club. The only difference this season, of course, is the departure of Adi Viveash and arrival of new coaches, with many supporters pointing the finger to the backroom change when desperately looking for reasons for why City have started the season so disappointingly.
It’s fair to say that the change is a big test for the manager but he remains calm and confident that things will improve, and that he has an exciting young squad that will grow into the season. The players have shown glimpses of what they can do, from the 3-0 pre-season thumping of Everton to going toe-to-toe with Tottenham, performing well at Watford and putting three past Blackburn. They have shown they are a good side when they click and now it is just a question of getting that on a consistent basis.