FAN-tastic Robins calls on supporters to rally to Sky Blues’ cause
MANAGER WANTS TO SEE UNITED FRONT FOR CRUNCH CLASH AGAINST FLEETWOOD
MARK Robins has issued a rallying call to Coventry City fans ahead of tonight’s Ricoh Arena clash with Fleetwood Town.
The Sky Blues ’ defeat by Burton Albion on Friday night appeared to be a significant blow to the club’s play-off hopes ahead of Saturday’s League One programme.
But defeats for sixth-placed Doncaster Rovers and seventh-placed Peterborough United – whom City face this coming weekend – and a draw for eighth-in-the-table Blackpool meant Coventry remain no worse off, still just five points off a potential top-six spot.
Friday night’s game under the lights against the Brewers was a frustrating affair, not least given the manner of the result which was decided in the end by a mistake by goalkeeper Lee Burge.
The 26-year-old mis-kicked an attempted clearance from a backpass that went straight to Albion player Jamie Allen, who promptly punished the Sky Blues with a wellplaced winning goal.
Burge came in for a bit of stick from the terraces as a result.
“I think a lot of that was Burton fans in all fairness,” said Robins, reflecting on the 2-1 home defeat.
“But when you make mistakes you have to deal with it, you have to man up and deal with things like that.
“Everybody makes mistakes but it’s how we come out of it.”
Robin and his squad galvanised the fans and forged a closer relationship between them following the club’s success in the Checkatrade Trophy in 2017. That built further during last season’s memorable promotion campaign that climaxed with a superb League Two play-off semi-final second leg at Notts County, followed by an emphatic victory and another big day out at Wembley in the final against Exeter City. A number of new supporters’ clubs have formed during that time and as a result of that success continue to build links with the players and fans with regular events and Q&A sessions organised to maintain that contact between Robins, his staff, squad and the fans.
And following Friday night’s reaction by some, the City boss is keen to remind people about the club’s motto that has served them so well over the last couple of years. “Like I’ve said we have to stick together, we have to make sure that that’s what happens,” he said. “We’ve got choices to make, as supporters and players: are we together or are we not? “Because that’s what we’ve spoken about all the way through. “The motto is ‘Rise Together,’ not let’s rise together when it suits. “We all want easy lives. It’d be great for an easy life but it doesn’t happen like that. I think if we stick together we will get better performances and better results, it’s as simple as that.”
Robins has also expressed his concern about the club’s off-field problems “seeping over into the football.”
“What’s going on off the field shouldn’t have an impact on the field,” he said.
“I know it’s frustrating, it’s frustrating for everybody but we have to stick together.
“People who come to the stadium should come to support the team and those that come to the stadium generally do support the team, but I don’t want things shouted to the players from just behind us. They were shouting totally ridiculous things. Just support the players.
“At the end of the day let everyone deal with what’s going on and don’t let those frustrations seep over into the football.
“We have got young players out there trying to do their best and that negativity can have a negative impact.”
We’ve got choices to make, as supporters and players: are we together or are we not? Mark Robins