Sky Blues must build on excellent effort – pundit
IWELUMO PICKS OUT KEY MEN AS INITIAL POSITIVE VIEW STRENGTHENED
FORMER Wolves and Watford striker Chris Iwelumo left St Andrew’s on Saturday afternoon with his first impressions of Coventry City firmly reinforced.
The 42-year-old former Scotland international has watched the Sky Blues twice so far this season and admitted he’s been nothing but impressed by Mark Robins and his team.
He singled out one player, in particular, for praise and backed the strike partnership of Max Biamou and Tyler Walker before backing City to build on their “fantastic” three points against Brentford in their quest for Championship safety.
Covering the game as a summariser for TALKSPORT, Iwelumo said after the final whistle: “I was very impressed with Coventry. I have seen them a couple of times now and they have a fantastic brand of football that they play.
“They never quite saw that today but I think the game plan was good and Mark Robins set them up very, very well; just a high press and high energy, and in that transition they used the ball very well.
“They looked the more threatening for the whole game to be honest.
“The finishing in itself with Biamou’s shot and that fantastic save from David Raya (ahead of the penalty) and again the relationship between Tyler Walker and Biamou was fantastic.” He added: “But Callum O’hare, for me, what a player by the way! Technically, his workrate with and without the ball, everything was fantastic. “But the back three/ back five knew their jobs and they took responsibility in the game as well. They saw it out professionally; let the clock play out.
“But I just felt from the get go that they’d done their homework on Brentford.
“They stopped them from playing but Brentford don’t have a Plan B. They tried to play out all the time but how many times did they lose the ball in their own defensive third, and that was how Coventry set up, going man for man and forcing Raya to go long and then enter the strengths of Coventry with the likes of Kyle Mcfadzean at the back, going and winning the header and then picking up second balls, and that’s what Coventry did really well.
“So Mark Robins should get a lot of credit for the way he set them up.”
So does he back the Sky Blues to stay up?
“You’d hope so. They have got to go and build on that result now.
“There will be a few eyes on this game. It’s a fantastic three points and one that will give the group confidence and it’s a question now, can they take that forward?”
I have seen them a couple of times now and they have a fantastic brand of football that they play.
Chris Iwelumo
COVENTRY City’s next opponents Swansea suffered a significant injury as well as a blow to their push for automatic promotion at the weekend.
The Swans’ 4-1 loss to Huddersfield Town – described by captain Matt Grimes as his side’s worst performance of the season – was a blip in what has otherwise been a hugely positive campaign for Steve Cooper’s men.
However, the horror show in west Yorkshire threw up some key squad questions ahead of tonight’s Sky Blues clash, particularly given the injuries suffered by Jordan Morris and Ryan Bennett.
Morris, who was a January loan signing brought in to replace Viktor Gyokeres, who switched to the Sky Blues, was stretchered off at The John Smith’s Stadium with a knee injury that has since been confirmed as an ACL rupture that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Cooper also revealed after the loss to the Terriers that defender Bennett was withdrawn due to a calf problem.
Swansea are unbeaten in 12 league matches on home soil, and they will hope to bounce back from Saturday’s loss.
Confirming Morris’s injury, Cooper said: “He’s had a bad injury, unfortunately for him.
“It’s significant ligament damage, ACL. Everything we hoped it wasn’t unfortunately it is.
“It’s the end of the season and a long road back to recovery. It’s a cruel injury anyway, but in the circumstances of him fulfilling an ambition and coming to Europe and being a part of what we’re trying to do here. It’s a really tough one for him and us to take.
“He has our support and the next steps of his recovery. I’m not quite sure if it’s here or back in the US.
“But we’re gutted for him. It’s a blow for us. He was just about getting up to speed really. We had to give him a spell of getting fit.”
The player’s absence leaves the Swans short up front.
“It’s a fact, everyone knows we haven’t had a striker all season,” said Cooper.
“We have found a formula to play with two up top, in the wide strikers, Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe have occupied those positions. But we haven’t had a number nine all season.
“Circumstances haven’t really changed apart from we’re one less with Jordan not being available now. It’s about not letting it interfere with our progress and our journey. There’s still a load of games coming up.”
It’s a blow for us. He was just about getting up to speed really. We had to give him a spell of getting fit.
Steve Cooper
As for 30-year-old Bennett’s availability against Mark Robins’ men, Cooper said: “Benno’s doubtful. “He’s struggling with a calf problem from the weekend. We’ve got another
training day tomorrow so we’ll see if he makes it. We won’t take any risks with him.
“At the same time, we’ll hope he’s ready. Unfortunately he had to come off on Saturday.”
Elsewhere, midfielder Wayne Routledge is making progress but the manager said: “Wayne is not too far off but not ready for Wednesday.
“The other ones are pretty long term. Brandon Cooper is back in training. He’s going to need at least another week or so. But the long-term ones are still in the early stages.”
As for his thoughts on the Sky Blues, who were unlucky not to take the full three points when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s in October, Cooper said: “Coventry had a really good result on the weekend.
“They’re a team that’s stuck with the way they got promoted from League One with last season. They have an experienced manager.
“It’s a game we’ve absolutely got to be ready for. We’re at home, we’re starting this spell of playing every three or four days and it’s about survival of the fittest and the toughest as well, both physically and mentally.”