CITY STARS HAVE SCOT GOOD VIBE!
NEW SKY BLUES SIGNINGS CAN BE POSITIVE ABOUT FUTURE AFTER COMING THROUGH TOUGH TRIP TO RANGERS
COVENTRY City had four of their six summer signings in action against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday evening.
The Sky Blues were beaten 2-0 at the famous old Scottish ground but will have been happy with both their performance and their fitness levels after just ten days of pre-season.
Prior to that, Mark Robins’ players spent over 120 days in lockdown, training alone – but their pre-season trip to Scotland has proved a success.
Julien Dacosta and Jay Mcgrath did not feature against Rangers with Dacosta back in England nursing a slight injury while Mcgrath watched on from the bench.
But our man TOM LEACH had his eye on the four new signings who did feature – two of them giving fans a first glimpse of them in action wearing sky blue.
Ryan Giles
We didn’t see near enough of Ryan Giles last season with the loanee playing second fiddle to Sam Mccallum at left-back, but he looks a player.
The jet-heeled 20-year-old looks as if he is far more comfortable adventuring up the touchline than he is getting back to defend but he made no obvious mistakes while trying to nullify the likes of multi-millionpound talents Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.
Giles is highly rated at Wolves and was a fond favourite during his loan spell with Shrewsbury Town – and maybe now we have seen why that is.
The Sky Blues are still being linked with full-backs but fans may now feel confident with Giles and Brandon Mason as Robins’ options.
Gustavo Hamer
As the players lined up before kick-off, it was almost like Liam Walsh had never left as Hamer stood alongside Liam Kelly in midfield – and it is those big boots that he will have to fill in the Championship this season.
For a first impression, it doesn’t get much better than the one Hamer offered fans at Ibrox. He looked sharp and determined to win the ball and turn play in midfield. And his passing was close to immaculate, only conceding possession with optimistic and direct long-balls that, on another day, could have fallen right into Matty Godden’s lap.
He looked like he really enjoyed having Ryan Giles pushing forward down the left with his pace and, you would imagine, the same will be said about Fankaty
Dabo when City’s right-back returns from injury at the end of September.
An obvious talent.
Marcel Hilssner
His first touch and turn had us in awe – but Hilssner was quiet after that moment.
Another who has had fewer days to reach fitness than his teammates, the German midfielder looked off the pace but his quality was visible when he did get on the ball.
The 25-year-old will have been disappointed with his involvement but did have the tough challenge of facing Rangers with team-mates far less experienced than those Robins deployed in the first half.
But he will be happy with getting a valuable 45 minutes under his belt and will, undoubtedly, play a big park in Robins’ preseason.
Callum O’hare
We know him so well, but he is a new signing. O’hare was his usual self during the first 15 minutes but he did look worn out before his team-mates having missed the first week of pre-season.
Twice he played killer balls into Godden and could have set Jordan Shipley free on goal early on had his decision making had been, in that moment, a little sharper. But we all know what O’hare has in his locker and he will only improve as pre-season continues.
O’hare was his usual self during the first 15 minutes but he did look worn out before his team-mates having missed the first week of preseason.