Philosophical boss aware City were in good Kompany
MARK Robins was disappointed but not disheartened after his Coventry City side fell to a narrow defeat to fallen Premier League side Burnley at the CBS Arena.
Vincent Kompany’s men dominated large spells of the first half and got their goal from a combination of their quality and the Sky Blues’ deficiencies in failing to read the threat that allowed Nathan Tella to score from a ball over the top of the back line just before the break.
City fought back in the second half but were unable to find a way through an organised opposition on a day when they hit the bar but failed to hit a single attempt on target.
“They are a good side and exactly what we expected, but if you look at our performance it was actually pretty good,” said Robins, after the 1-0 home defeat.
“They pin teams in, put a lot of players in your back line and have loads of pace, and if you win the ball back and counter against them they have got pace to run back, so they are a really good side. But to concede the goal we did against them was really disappointing.
“From our perspective we’d been OK and limited them to not a lot. We hit the underside of the crossbar and that’s the second time in as many games that we’ve done that.
“We broke the play up numerous times... It was a little bit difficult to break them down. They obviously looked at the past where there is a habit forming, which isn’t a great one of them conceding late goals, and goals from crosses, and you saw the edginess in their play.
“We were in the game and have been in the game for the last three, and we’ve become tighter as a unit.
But in doing that there’s a pay-off, so there’s a balance to be had. You know me, I want us to score goals but I don’t want us to be conceding too many, but we’re playing against sides that can hurt you.
“So players we have are needing that help but they will get better. We say that all the time but they will. And it’s just disappointing that we couldn’t get a goal back.”
Reflecting on the decisive 39th minute goal, the City boss said: “It was too easy, one ball over the top. We can’t get done like that. We make mistakes. Every team makes mistakes but it doesn’t always cost goals, but when we make a mistake it seems to cost us a goal or a big chance.
“But I think for the most part that was a decent performance so I can’t really have a go at anybody, and it’s just the difference in the quality between the teams. It’s Premier League quality against what we have got at the stage of our development.
“The ball for their goal was a measured ball that he (Tella) was able to take and get his toe on the end and it’s caught everybody out. But you have to understand that these are top players so they are going to be able to control the ball.
“I don’t think our players – certainly goalkeeper Ben (Wilson) – I don’t think he’s read it, doesn’t think he’s going to get hold of it so he has come out of his goal which has caught us out. So in terms of the mentality, we didn’t see things as quickly as they did, and that is a difference in the level.
“So those are the fine margins between winning and not. But you have to say we have done pretty well against a really difficult opponent.”