Doyle deal the stand-out signing for Robins
PLENTY of players have passed through Coventry City over the years, some leaving as legends or fondly remembered for years to come while others are forgotten as quickly as it takes to say ‘contract cancelled by mutual consent.’
Never one to stand still, Mark Robins has had his fair share of ins and outs during his latest spell with the Sky Blues.
But who have been his best signings in his second stint at City, and who have been the ones he got wrong?
Loan stars Liam Walsh and Callum O’hare have been game changers in midfield this term, while right-back Fankaty Dabo has developed into a firm fans’ favourite and mainstay of the side.
It could be argued that Sam Mccallum has been his shrewdest piece of business, snapped up for free from non-league Herne Bay via the V9 Academy, thrust into the first team and then sold on for a reported £3.5million profit.
There are always one or two who don’t quite work out, often for quite legitimate reasons like in Gervane Kastaneer’s case where the lad has found it difficult to settle from abroad, or Peter Vincenti who arrived full of promise but struggled to find the form that had attracted Robins to him in the first place.
BEST:
For my money there are two that stand out, and they’re both from the League Two promotion campaign.
It’s a toss up between Marc Mcnulty who, although took time to get going, scored an incredible 28 goals in the 2017/28 season – 23 in the league – and captain fantastic Michael Doyle.
Although only here for a season, Mcnulty joined on a free from Sheffield United and was sold on for an undisclosed profit to Reading 12 months later, making the Scot a lucrative bit of business, albeit a hugely disappointing loss to the team.
But the man who has arguably been the manager’s best signing to date is the hugely influential Doyle who helped pull the club up by its boot laces and get them back to League One.
An inspirational leader on and off the pitch, the fierce campaigner played a huge part in galvanising the dressing room and helping Robins lay foundations on which to build future success, while also helping the club forge a closer connection to the fans.
He’s the type of player every team needs when the chips are down; a character who led by example to help get the Sky Blues over the line in the memorable play-off semi-final second leg at Notts County, where his passion and love for the club shone through.
WORST:
Not an easy choice to make and always harsh because there are so
often plenty of mitigating circumstances.
The likes of Abu Ogogo and Junior Brown were huge disappointments but both joined on the back of long term injuries and struggled to get back to form. Ogogo also faced stiff competition from an already well blessed midfield, making it even harder to establish himself.
But the player who gets the nod on this occasion is centre-half James Pearson who joined the club on trial in the summer of 2017.
The former Leicester City defender, and son of now Watford manager Nigel, impressed as a second-half substitute in a pre-season friendly with Championship side Barnsley and was signed on non-contract terms.
Comfortable at centre-half and rightback, the then 24-year-old provided an alternative option following Cian Harries’ move to Swansea City and Jordan Turnbull’s loan switch to Partick Thistle.
Another to join following a bad knee injury the previous year, Pearson was on the bench for the first five league and cup games before being handed his debut in a 3-2 EFL Trophy defeat at home to Shrewsbury Town.
But the player was never seen in a City shirt again as the following day he departed as his non-contract agreement was cancelled by mutual consent.
He went on to join Kidderminster for four games before ending up at Macclesfield in 2018, for whom he’s played 28 times to date.