Robins lines up players to help promotion push
MARK Robins is confident he can add the required pace, creativity and attacking flair in the January transfer window to get Coventry City promoted back to League One.
The Sky Blues boss has revealed he has targets lined up, admitting that he will be making use of the loan market in a bid to get a sprinkling of young Premier League or Championship talent to help the club kick on and achieve their ambitions in the second half of the season.
The loss of star man Jodi Jones and play-maker Tony Andreu to seasonending injuries, coupled with a lack of goals in the first 20 League Two games of the season, has set back City’s progress and Robins is determined to address those shortcomings when the window opens next month.
Asked if he’s got players lined up and the if club are ready to push the button on them, he said: “Yes.
“The recruitment side of things is working so we have got players that we’re ready to pursue, positions we’re looking to strengthen.”
Asked if he’s confident he’ll get those targets, he added: “I’m always confident, yes.
“There is a process and we’re going through that process, but I am always confident that we’ll get the targets we’re after and, more importantly, we need to get players in who are going to hit the ground running and help us on the final run in.”
And asked whether the majority will be loans rather than permanent signings, the manager said: “I would imagine that will be the case, yes.” If City get it right, a bit of top-flight class can transform a side as fans saw when Adam Armstrong, Ryan Kent and Jacob Murphy made a huge impact on the team in 2015/16 under Tony Mowbray when Armstrong and Murphy bagged 30 goals between them. On the flip side, of course, the likes of Dan Agyei, Andre Wright and Michael Folivi failed to make the desired impact the following season when City were relegated. Asked if the qualities he’s looking for are pace, creativity and attacking flair to get City over the promotion line, Robins said: “That could just do. “You’re not far away on what we’re looking for and I have said that all along. You lose Jodi Jones and Tony Andreu and it’s a massive, massive blow for us. We have got young players in there at the moment but they can obviously only do that for a spell.
“Jordan Shipley is doing a terrific job and finding his feet but we’re making mistakes because we haven’t got the knowledge and know-how, but they are good players and are going to be good players.
“To give them opportunities you have to understand that they are going to make some naive decisions at times but, having said that, some of the senior players do as well,” the manager added. Robins also revealed that as well as taking players on loan the likelihood is that a number of existing players will be going the other way to ensure they continue to get game time on the pitch.
“There will be people who will, inevitably, need to go out to play,” he confirmed.
The recruitment side of things is working so we have got players that we’re ready to pursue, positions we’re looking to strengthen. Mark Robins