DON’T BE FOOLED BY ‘LITTLE OLD ACCRINGTON’
ROBINS WARNS SKY BLUES TO UNDERESTIMATE RIVALS AT THEIR PERIL
COVENTRY City boss Mark Robins is not falling for Accrington Stanley’s psychological mind games ahead of today’s League One encounter.
Both Stanley boss John Coleman and on-loan West Ham defender Aji Alese dubbed their side “little Accrington” ahead of the clash to highlight the different history of the two clubs.
Accrington will arrive at St Andrew’s as underdogs, but Robins has warned Sky Blues fans not to expect their afternoon to be plain sailing in Birmingham.
“They can play on the fact that they’re ‘little Accrington,’ they are not little at all,” said Robins. “Let’s not forget that they were promoted from League Two the same season that we were and they were the champions.
“They play down their achievements, but they are competing with us because they are a good side who are managed well by John Coleman.
“Nobody underestimates them and we have to stand up to that challenge.”
Accrington were revealed as England’s ‘dirtiest team’ in a midweek survey, picking up an average of one red card every 8.3 games in recent seasons.
“They know the dark arts and they do it well, but they also have good players,” Robins continued.
“I gave Jordan Clark his debut when I was at Barnsley and he has gone on to have a great career. “They have Courtney BakerRichardson who we know well and Colby Bishop.” Baker-Richardson will of course be looking to haunt the Sky Blues this weekend but he is not the only player familiar with the area. Bishop, a striker who Robins admits was on his radar in the past, scored 33 goals in 53 games for Leamington and has already scored four this season since making the mighty leap to League One.
“Just because they have an affiliation with the area, I don’t think that will make any difference besides maybe a sharper focus,” said Robins.
“They are no different to anybody else. They are good players in a good side and they are very effective.
“It is interesting to hear Accrington’s take on things. They keep talking about themselves as ‘little Accrington’ and that is something that may be true in certain aspects but not on the pitch, not on the team that John picks. He always has a talented group that work hard.”
Meanwhile, Robins has refused to rule out bringing in a
Nobody underestimates them and we have to stand up to that challenge.
Mark Robins
striker to replace the injured Matty Godden during the January transfer window.
Godden, the club’s marquee summer signing, could be out of action for up to fourth months with a pelvic bone injury, leaving the Sky Blues short in attack.
And with the opening of the January window just two months away, Robins’ development squad are already hard at work identifying potential targets to freshen up his wounded squad.
But it is not just the arrival of a new forward that could benefit City’s promotion push, says the Sky Blues manager, with the club also keen on landing a dangerous wide man if possible.
“We will need to do some things [in January],” said Robins
when asked if he would be allowed the funds to bring in cover for Godden.
“I had a meeting the other day with the recruitment department and there are things that we need to do to freshen up. Matty Godden will be out until February or March, we are still waiting to hear on what exactly is happening there. We have just got to wait and see. That is something for the specialist and Matty to decide on.
“We are obviously still without the services of Wesley Jobello and that has had an impact on us negatively, I think.
“But for now it is up to others, and myself, to find a way of consistently getting results and we will keep doing the work on the training ground that will keep us moving in the right direction.”
City can climb to within two points of the automatic promotion places with a win today.