ON A WAR FOOTING

DABO WILL RELISH FRIENDLY RIVALRY WITH OLD TEAM-MATE, INSISTS MANAGER

COVENTRY City fans have long anticipated today’s clash with Burnley after off-field rivalries intensified this summer with the Clarets’ pursuit of Callum O’hare in the transfer window.

There will be plenty of on-field battles too, not least at wing-back where Fankaty Dabo will go head-to-head with his close friend and former teammate Ian Maatsen.

The pair were a key part of City’s success last season, both bombing down the flanks to help Mark Robins’ men pull off several memorable results, not least against relegated Premier League clubs Fulham and Sheffield United.

Dabo has already declared “war” on Maatsen ahead of this afternoon’s game, and following the Chelsea loan star’s move to Vincent Kompany’s Clarets in the wake of a hugely successful season at the CBS Arena.

Asked about the prospect of City’s first-choice right wing-back Dabo going up against the Clarets’ expected left wing-back Maatsen on the day, City manager Mark Robins said: “There will be lots of different facets to the game. It’s not just tactical, it’s a lot of things that you’ll see in the game.

“I don’t think Fanky was joking too much, I think he was serious when he said that (‘it’s war’). But their friendship was really strong last season and I am sure it still is. I think Maats will play, think their manager will bring him back in and if that’s the case it will be interesting to see.”

All players pride themselves on winning their individual battles, of course, and as Dabo has said, there will be no love lost when they cross the white line.

“Yes, that’s a key part of any game,” said Robins. “All the way through the history of football it’s about winning your individual battles, but we have to try to work together to limit our opponents’ opportunities and ability to create things. They are going to create things, there’s no doubt about it, because they are a good side.

They move the ball quickly, like to keep possession and get numbers high up to try to pin you in, and they have got quality in there as well. So there are a lot of challenges on Saturday but we look forward to it.” He added: “We come up against a top team, Premier League quality and we obviously understand that they have a possession based game and try to have the ball and move you into positions you don’t want to be in, and if you allow them to do that it will be a long afternoon. But we have got to try to impose our game on them at some point in the game.

“Each team has their own weaknesses and we have to try to find and expose those while maintaining the integrity of ours. But we’re under no illusions that it’s a tough one.”

As for Maatsen, Robins has nothing but good things to say about the lad, saying: “He came here to play and the biggest accolade I can give apart from being a very good player is the fact that he bought into it here and became a Coventry City player for that season. And he did really well on the back of it and we did well from that loan as well.

“He’s moved on and you look with interest because he is a good player, there’s no doubt about that, and we were happy and lucky to have had him for the season we did, and of course we played a role in his development.”

Meanwhile, he may not be fit to take to the field against Burnley, but O’hare is set to make his big presence felt today.

Some fans have dubbed the CBS Arena contest as the ‘Callum O’hare derby’ after the Clarets’ summer interest in the midfielder.

“That’s an interesting take on it but he won’t be involved in it (on the pitch),” said Robins, speaking about the former Aston Villa prospect who is recovering from a serious hamstring tear.

Asked if, given the background to the fixture, the player will be in the dressing room to fire up his teammates, Robins smiled and said: “I think that’s fair to say, yes!”

All the way through the history of football it’s about winning your individual battles but we have to try to work together. Mark Robins