Robins to give Sky Blues stars a tour of Ricoh
MARK Robins has revealed he’s planning to take Coventry City’s players on a tour round the Ricoh Arena.
The Sky Blues boss has signed several players including star men Matty Godden, Fankaty Dabo, Michael Rose and Gus Hamer during what will amount to a two-year exile from the club’s home city.
Many of those players and other recruits were shown around the stadium in successive summers when City and Ricoh owners Wasps were locked in talks, which ultimately failed, to come home, meaning they have never played in the impressive 32,000-seater venue.
The Ricoh has long been used as a selling point to attract new players and ought to be a huge incentive for the current squad to redouble their efforts to stay in the Championship in their last 11 make-or-break games of the season.
Asked if he’s spoken to his players about the stadium return yet, Robins said: “Not yet. They all know.
“There are players who have signed and not set foot in there yet and don’t know what it feels like.
“So that will be a priority at some point but it isn’t at the moment. I don’t want to dilute what’s happening now by taking the focus off everybody.
“We’ll speak to Stephen Vaughan (Wasps CEO) and see if we can get a day there to visit.”
As for any added incentive, the manager said: “We don’t need any incentives.
“It’s there (survival) for everyone.
I think we are good enough and performances have been good enough most of the time, and I think we’ll be fine as long as we keep focused on that.
“We don’t move our focus and while we are really excited about being back at the Ricoh and to play our football there, we want to be playing at the highest level we possible can do.
“We’re all desperate to get to the Premier League, never mind stay in the Championship, but to do that there’s only one way and that’s to do it the way we have been in the last four years since we have been in.
“And to come away from that would be ridiculous. If we do those things then we’ll be good enough.”
Asked if he senses an excitement from the players and going home, he added: “I imagine that will build over time.
“At the moment we have all thought about it and spoken about it briefly but it’s in the not too distant future.
“The players will be talking about it and excited about things but the focus is on the last 11 games.”
As to whether he has any concerns about the pitch which has proved problematic in the past due to the dual use with heavy-going rugby matches, Robins is satisfied the improved investment and attention will sort that.
“I don’t need any reassurance on the back of what’s been spoken about,” he said.
“That is going to be something that’s going to be taken care of.”