City fluff their lines – and are hit by further injuries
COVENTRY City firmly remain masters of their own destiny but appear determined to put their fans through a nerve-racking end to their first season back in the Championship.
Here are some of the big talking points from the goalless draw with the Wycombe Wanderers...
Typical Sky Blues
In typical Coventry City fashion they fluffed their lines on what looked like the perfect opportunity to get another big three points.
If only football was so simple! Yes, the Sky Blues were playing bottom of the league, by definition the worst team in the Championship, on ‘home’ soil where they’ve generally been pretty good this season.
But even Mark Robins admitted, “Coventry City never do things the easy way, that’s for sure,” in his post match assessment.
Dubbed a ‘must win’ game by fans with a proclivity for extreme reactions, one way or the other, those immortal words always strike fear into the more level headed ifollowers well versed in hoping for the best but not surprised by a disappointing outcome. And as frustrating as it was not to win a game that felt like a defeat and was certainly two points dropped, at least they didn’t lose and clocked up another point towards this season’s safety margin.
Sod’s law
Just when Robins was able to say, probably for the first time all season, that he had a fully fit complement of players from which to choose for the last ten make or break games of the campaign, two of his key men limped off with worrying injuries.
Fankaty Dabo was the first to go, just before the break when he pulled up with a hamstring strain which, depending on the severity, could be anything from a couple of weeks to several.
The highly influential Liam Kelly followed just after the hour with a worrying knee injury, with Robins fearing a lengthy lay-off for the skipper who, by pure coincidence, was sidelined for several weeks the last time he played against Wycombe.
Either way, it’s fair to assume that both are going to miss games in the coming weeks. And one thing’s for certain, if they do succeed in staying in the Championship this season, City will have done it the hard way.
Time to come to the party
Fortunately, Robins has enough midfield options at his disposal to get by without Kelly, with Matty James able to fill the skipper’s role, possibly opening the door for Jamie Allen’s long overdue impact.
But it could also pave the way for the manager to play with two up front, knowing he doesn’t have to squeeze his four best midfielders (Kelly, James, Hamer and O’hare) into the same side at the expense of a striker.
As for the right wing-back slot, Julien Dacosta is the natural replacement for Dabo but, aside from a scintillating second 45 minutes against Nottingham Forest, he’s yet to show what he brings to the party.
He set the bar that night and has struggled to reach it again since.
Frustrating to watch against Wycombe, he got forward reasonably well but his final ball lacked quality, either failing to beat the first man or flying high at the back post.
Max under the microscope
More criticism will, inevitably, be fired in Max Biamou’s way after he missed two more chances on top of the three clear cut opportunities against Luton in midweek.
But for all the popular striker’s frailties in front of goal, he continues to put in a shift for the team and provide a presence in both boxes.
No he’s not a prolific goal scorer but he’s the best City have got at a time when star man Matty Godden is way off full fitness and Tyler Walker and Viktor Gyokeres yet to demand a place in the team.
Don’t forget, Robins picks his team based not just on what he sees on a match day, but what he sees in training in the week, and at the minute Max is the man in possession despite lacking the clinical touch to bump up the Sky Blues’ points tally.
Aside from a match-fit Godden, Biamou works harder than any other forward and offers so much more in terms of an all round package. And it’s unfortunate at the minute that the burden of goalscoring is falling on his shoulders alone, resulting in him coming in for more flak.
Mixed fortunes for rivals
Although survival remains very much in their own hands, City will undoubtedly feel deflated that two of their basement rivals pulled off spectacular away victories.
Sheffield Wednesday confounded the form guide in their Yorkshire derby at Oakwell, triumphing 2-1 to end a ten-match undefeated sequence for Barnsley. And Covidracked Rotherham collected a 2-0 verdict at Bristol City which moves them four points behind the Sky Blues with three matches in hand.
On the plus side Birmingham City were trounced 3-0 at Watford, slipping a point behind their St Andrew’s tenants having played an extra match. And Wayne Rooney’s Derby remain very much in danger after being edged out 1-0 at Stoke – they are now just a point clear of Robins’ men having played one game more.