JUNIOR IS BACK ON THE RADAR
SKY BLUES BOSS WANTS DEFENDER TO KICK ON AFTER SERIOUS INJURY
I signed Junior because he was an attacking full-back that I wanted at the club. Obviously I am giving him plenty of leeway. Mark Robins
IT’S fair to say Coventry City fans are yet to see the best of Junior Brown.
The summer signing from Shrewsbury Town has not started a game for almost three months, having only made 17 League One starts all season.
Left out of the matchday squad completely on several occasions, at one stage it looked like the left-back was heading down the same route as fellow former Shrews and Sky Blues misfit Abu Ogogo who, after failing to figure, was let go in January, allowed to join Bristol Rovers on a free just six months into a three-year contract.
But Brown has re-emerged in the last couple of weeks, going on for first choice Brandon Mason in the last two games and doing an admirable job, not least when he helped see off the aerial bombardment from Fleetwood Town to secure victory over the Cod Army.
He played a part again at the weekend when Mason was forced off injured just before the hour at Peterborough United.
Mason revealed after the game that he had picked up a “minor” injury and would be back as soon as possible.
Whether Saturday’s Ricoh Arena clash with Oxford United is too soon remains to be seen but 29-year-old Brown will, no doubt, be desperate to get back in and show what he can do with a decent run in the side.
To be fair to the experienced defender, like Ogogo, he joined City on the back of a serious knee injury, having torn a cruciate ligament in October 2017.
At the time his then manager Paul Hurst admitted what a “big loss” he’d be, revealing that Brown would have been the last player in his team he’d have wanted to get injured, such was the excellent season he was having for the club. Current boss Mark Robins has appeared frustrated with the player at times, not least by replacing him with teenager Sam McCallum who was promoted to the first team for a brief spell, but says he’s cut the player some
slack because of his recent injury history.
Asked about his current standing, Robins said: “It’s a squad game and it’s what they do with those appearances and what they do to try to force their way in.
“I expect them to fight and scrap and if they don’t then they are under the radar.
“If they want to go under the radar then they don’t get as many minutes,” he added.
“I am not saying that’s the case with Junior. I am just saying that in general.
“If they get noticed then they get opportunities.”
He added: “I think Junior’s performance when he went on the other night against Fleetwood warranted a mention after the game because he won some good headers in the box and got in some good clearances.
“I signed Junior because he was an attacking full-back that I wanted at the club.
“Obviously I am giving him plenty of leeway because of his injury last season. He was back within five or six months from a cruciate knee ligament injury which is something.
“But also, you have to make sure there’s no reoccurrence of it and by now he’s recovered sufficiently to be able to kick on with his performances, and that’s what I’ll be looking for.”