Sheff impressed as Sky Blues put Rovers to sword
FORMER Coventry City favourite Gary McSheffrey was among those watching his hometown club put on a show in the FA Cup this week.
The one-time Sky Blues Academy graduate now works as a coach for League One rivals Doncaster Rovers – City’s opponents this weekend.
Donny boss Darren Moore and his assistant were at the game checking out Mark Robins’ men ahead of Saturday’s fixture at the Keepmoat Stadium, while McSheffrey merely took the opportunity to watch his boyhood club while in the area.
And he couldn’t help being impressed with what he saw as a Max Biamou brace and Josh Pask strike eased Coventry through their third round replay against Bristol Rovers to set up a mouth-watering fourth round tie against one of his other old clubs, Birmingham City, in an intriguing ‘home and away’ clash at St Andrew’s.
“I thought first-half going in at 1-0 was always a concern because Clarke-Harris had his headers and almost equalised, but Coventry were that dominant and impressive,” said McSheffrey, who was joined by Kenilworth lad Matty Blair, who is a current Doncaster Rovers player and could be playing at the weekend.
“The fluency in their play and free-flowing football was good to see. The manager has gone with the four midfielders in a kind of box midfield that all rotate and get on the ball, and initially you’re maybe thinking they only have one striker on the pitch and, from the outside looking in, it maybe looks like a negative move.
“But when you have the quality of personnel they have it’s not negative at all because you’re actually getting a better footballer on the pitch.
“I was really impressed. I thought Liam Kelly was tidy and the experienced midfielder but in Liam Walsh, Jamie Allen and Callum O’Hare they were really impressive how they inter-changed and linked up, constantly breaking lines with passes and always getting into areas where they get in behind the opposition’s midfield.
“And when they do get in behind they are always looking for through balls to the striker.
“It was good, very enjoyable to watch.”
He added: “O’Hare’s passes for the first two goals were very good.
“Some players would be hesitant and just pass to feet, or get it back and build again but you can tell he has got that no-fear mentality.
“He wants to play the killer pass in behind and trust that his teammates have got the pace to get on the end of them.”
The 37-year-old, who scored 61 goals in 247 league games in two spells with the Sky Blues, now coaches Donny’s Under-23s.