SKY BLUE THINKING
COVENTRY CITY are bottom of League One – rock bottom.
There is open warfare between the club’s supporters and owners, and an ongoing battle to stay at the Ricoh Arena.
Unsurprisingly, the Sky Blues were not flooded with interest when the opportunity arose to become t h e i r FOURTH manager this season.
But one man does not sense mission impossible.
Instead, he even refuses to acknowledge it as such – and with good reason.
Mark Robins, yes, the same one that saved Fergie from the sack all those years ago, has been here before.
Coventry fans, punch-drunk from the hurt, must be viewing his optimism with scepticism. very difficult – but it’s not impossible,” he said.
“But we, as a club, have to find a model that works. Every pound has to work. Every pound we spend must count. Every decision has to be right.
“Do that and you can make a difference. And you can do so quickly. But there are never any shortcuts.
“It has to be based upon hard work and a genuine desire from within, from everyone, to improve.
Teach
should never return to clubs where they have enjoyed success.
Robins was lured away from Coventry four years ago. The club was making headway in League One before Huddersfield came calling.
But now he’s back. And struggling to understand how a side progressing promisingly under Tony Mowbray just 18 months ago is heading into League Two, despite yesterday’s 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers.
He said: “When I was managing Scunthorpe, we played Coventry at Glanford Park. It was only last season.
“They were difficult to play against. They were fluid, had good energy and movement.
“Tony had the likes of John Fleck, Romain Vincelot, Jacob Murphy and Adam Armstrong on loan from Newcastle, “All of them have moved on and upwards. With the e x c e p t i o n of Armstrong, who went back to St James’ Park, what a shame t the others could not keep improving here. But there have to be problems – and deep ones at that – because I’m the fourth manager employed here this season.
“The remit is not so much to stay up because there is a recognition that the points differential makes that difficult. But we need some performances between now and the end of the season – and we need the club to regain its focus.”
Next Sunday, Coventry will make their first appearance at the national stadium – against Oxford United – since their famous 1987 FA Cup final triumph over Spurs.
The 30 years since then have been less than sparkling with City joining 2008 winners Portsmouth in the bottom tiers of English football.
Robins said: “Any club that can take 45,000 supporters to the final of the Checkatrade Trophy will be a force.
“We need a glimpse now of what this club can achieve.
“Then I’m sure whatever the result, it will be a positive experience that we can take with us and build on.”