‘This is football. If you’re frightened, tell me that it’s not for you and I’ll pick someone else..’
ROBINS DEMANDS POSITIVE MINDSET FOR CITY’S BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON
IT’S fair to say Coventry City face arguably their biggest game of the season when they travel to take on relegation rivals Rotherham United this week.
The clash with the Millers is the very definition of a ‘six-pointer’ as the Sky Blues look to increase their sixpoint gap on the third-from-bottom side who currently have three games in hand.
That will be cut to two games come Thursday night’s clash at the New York Stadium following Paul Warne’s men’s match at home to QPR tonight.
It’s a match that’s not for the faint hearted and Mark Robins has warned that if any of his players are not up for it then he’ll pick someone else.
Keen not to let Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth affect their mindset heading into the first of what he’s described as six “cup finals”, the Coventry manager said: “I want them to move on from it but I do want them to learn from things and be in a positive frame of mind for the last six.
“And Thursday is and always has been a big game, and will be a big game for both clubs because both want to get positive results.”
Asked about the pressure on the players to perform in such a big game, he said: “It is what it is and you have to be able to deal with it.
“This is football. If you’re frightened, tell me that it’s not for you and I’ll pick someone else.”
City will have had four days to recover from the weekend and prepare for the task ahead, while Rotherham’s focus is on QPR first, after which they’ll have less than a 48 hour turn-around to face the Sky
Blues in the second of three games in the space of six days for the Millers as they cram in their games in hand as a result of a Covid-19 outbreak at the club last month.
Robins added: “They have to be ready for it because you have to at some point stand up and be counted. Otherwise, what are you doing? “You’re in a sport and both teams want to win. The ones that do the right things more often and make the least mistakes and work the hardest – all those things come into play.
“But this is no more significant than any other game we play other than we have got six games left.” Meanwhile, the Championship play-off final will take place on Saturday,
May 29, the English Football League has announced.
All three EFL play-off finals will be held at Wembley over the May Bank Holiday weekend, scheduled for 3pm kick-offs.
The League One play-off final will be on Sunday, May 30 and the League Two final on Monday, May 31.
The regular season in the Championship and League Two ends on Saturday, May 8, while the final round of games in League One will be on Sunday, May 9.
The first legs of the EFL play-off semi-finals will take place during the week beginning May 17.
“EFL clubs from the Championship get the action under way on Monday, May 17, with the first legs in all three divisions due to be completed by Thursday, May 20,” the EFL said.
“The play-off semi-final second legs will take place between May 21-23, including three fixtures from the Championship and League One on Saturday, May 22.”
They have to be ready for it because you have to at some point stand up and be counted. Otherwise, what are you doing? Mark Robins