Can Robins’ Coventry City turn it around?

Pressure on Coventry City manager Mark Robins is building after a loss to Preston North End made it six defeats in 10 games for the Sky Blues.

In a game which cannot be clouded by the controversy of a disallowed Haji Wright equaliser, the decisive moment arrived in the form of a header by Preston’s Emil Riis, taking advantage of Coventry’s inability to clear from a corner. Lacklustre defensive displays have become a theme this season, with the side conceding 17 goals so far. After finishing last season with a positive goal difference of 11, Coventry appear to be well off the mark after the opening 12 games.

Despite their uninspiring performances, Robins has insisted that “There is no hiding. We will face this head on and keep playing football.”

The regrettable departures of Callum O’Hare and more recently Kasey Palmer have left a gaping hole in the squad

The most recent loss was marked by an attempted tactical reformulation by Robins, seemingly tired of the team’s lack of defensive stability and inability to create chances. A switch to a back five allowed full-backs Milan Van Ewijk and Jay DaSilva to bombard the opposition box via the wings without too heavy of a sacrifice in defence. But with a midfield trio unable to produce an effective and energetic display, chances ran dry as usual for the Sky Blues. Coventry’s best chance of the match fell to Bobby Thomas, who produced their only shot on target.

Not only has the team’s form been hampered by precarious defending, but the regrettable departures of Callum O’Hare and more recently Kasey Palmer have left a gaping hole in the squad. Coventry seem now to deeply lack O’Hare’s potential for chance creation. The midfielder shined last season as Coventry battled for promotion to the Premier League, producing 1.94 key passes and 4.06 crosses every ninety minutes on average. Summer signing Jack Rudoni from Huddersfield looks promising however, beginning to settle into the side alongside fellow new signings Oliver Dovin, Norman Bassette, and Brandon Thomas-Asante.

With the constant and reoccurring injuries to Taksuhiro Sakamoto, who hasn’t played more than 30 minutes since the 1-0 defeat to Norwich on August 31, it looks like the club may need to go fishing in their pockets in the January transfer window. In a footballing world where managers are only given so many chances, as Stoke City’s Steven Schumacher learnt recently, will fans be able to remain patient as far as January?

Robins asks fans to remain resilient with the promise of a salvaged season: “We have to keep plugging away. Things will turn around.”

It’s difficult to blame the poor start to the current campaign on Robins alone

This season may not be going the way Coventry fans had wanted, but it’s hard to ignore all that Robins has done for the club. Initially joining for a five-month stint in 2012, he made himself a fan-favourite following his re-appointment in March 2017, inheriting a Russell Slade side who had only managed three wins from sixteen games.

Robins failed to beat the drop to League Two, but he’s leapt every hurdle he’s faced thereafter; the side were promoted back to League One in their first attempt, and within three years of relegation to the fourth tier of English football, Coventry found themselves back in the Sky Bet Championship. Under Robins’ guidance, the Sky Blues didn’t stop there, coming within an inch of promotion to the Premier League, and reaching an FA Cup semifinal. It’s difficult to blame the poor start to the current campaign on Robins alone.

Coventry have yet to play two of the three sides who were relegated from the Premier League last season and will have to play them before the January transfer window opens. A win against Luton last weekend will bring hope of a recovery, but in a congested winter period where matches will only grow more difficult for Robins’ side, the question beckons: can Coventry turn it around?