One of Coventry City’s worst performances of the season destroyed their hopes of making the playoffs, which was all the more painful and disheartening given that it happened in a Midlands derby against Birmingham.
The veteran midfielder Gary Gardner, who played for two minutes at the end of the convincing 3-0 home victory, was doing his hardest to get his teammates excited for the game in the dressing room prior to kickoff, reminding them just how important and big the game was to the rival fans, putting the relegation battle aside. Blues boss Gary Rowett disclosed this information later.
Unfortunately for the Sky Blue Army, given their egregiously poor performance, which was just unacceptable, it seemed like their players hadn’t received the same message. Here, Sky Blues writer Andy Turner examines some of the key talking points from a 3-0 loss at St Andrew’s that was incredibly forgettable.
Outmatched anywhere on the field
Unfortunately, the Sky Blues failed to put in the necessary level of quality and effort on the day, despite the fact that both teams knew there was much more at stake than just local bragging rights going into the match. Birmingham appeared like a squad battling for their Championship lives, while the Sky Blues, on the other hand, appeared disorganized and subpar everywhere on the field — a far cry from a team that was struggling to stay in the running for the play-offs. Being so much off the pace when it counted most was uncharacteristic of Mark Robins’ team, and it is even more disheartening that they can rally to defeat teams like Leeds one week while falling well short of the necessary standards against the relegation-threatened Blues.
Managers frequently discuss the importance of narrow margins and pivotal moments in games that can determine the outcome. In the last four games, three of which have resulted in losses, there have been three own goals and two particularly notable missed opportunities in front of goal, namely Haji Wright’s penalty slip against Southampton and the American’s improvised effort that struck the crossbar against Blues.
Time for perspective
Unless City puts together a remarkable winning streak in their remaining four games and Norwich unexpectedly concedes in their final three, the play-offs are now essentially out of their grasp. There are still 12 points up for grabs, but it seems improbable that the Sky Blues, who are presently eight points outside of sixth place, will make the cut.
Now, let’s get a little perspective. The fact that Coventry was even considered for the play-offs at this late point in the season tells much about this young squad, which should improve even further next season, especially considering the massive player turnover, star man losses, and bad start to the season that occurred last summer. Even if it is frustrating, we should not lose sight of how far the team has gone over the last eight or nine months. Back in August and September, most fans would have been content with a season of consolidation.
Ignored O’Hare
It’s often said that sentiment has no place in football, but considering Callum O’Hare’s history in Birmingham and his stellar record versus his hometown team, this game seemed like the ideal opportunity for him.After famously adding a late goal and his trademark sunglasses celebration to a 4-2 victory at St Andrew’s in 2022, he nearly single-handedly destroyed the team his entire family supports a few months ago with a magnificent brace at CBS Arena.
When he went outside to stretch his legs during the first half, the home crowd jeered and teased him, yelling, “You’re so s*** you’re sat on the bench.” He would have been revved up to punish them after that, no doubt, but despite the manager making three changes at halftime, he was still passed over in favor of Fabio Tavares, who was chosen as the attacking option following his good midweek cameo against Southampton. It took O’Hare until the 72nd minute to enter the game, taking Kasey Palmer’s place for the last pointless eighteen minutes, during which City was already behind 3-0. The local derby seemed like the ideal venue for the midfield player, whose time at the team is running out, even though it’s hard to say he would have had a greater impact on the game than his colleagues had he participated earlier.
Under the direction of Mark Robins, who has led Coventry City to their first FA Cup semifinal since winning the prestigious title in 1987—still regarded as the Sky Blues’ pinnacle of achievement—the team is still creating new history.
Only the second time in club history have City advanced to the final four at Wembley, where they will take on the formidable Manchester United on Sunday, April 21, after defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers about 37 years later in the quarterfinals.
The Coventry Telegraph has created a massive 40-page souvenir publication to commemorate the accomplishment. It included rare interviews with Mark Robins, his dependable assistant, and head coach Adi Viveash, in addition to a look back at the 1987 journey to Wembley.
Hear how former Manchester United striker Robins feels about using his managerial acumen to take on the team he still loves and supports from his playing days. You’ll also hear how renowned coach Viveash of City helped set up Wolves’ demise and his intriguing strategy for defeating elite Premier League opponents twice. He’ll discuss strategies, focus, mental exercises, and, of course, one of the most important components of success: believe!
After joining the Sky Blues in January, Victor Torp made an instant impression by scoring a spectacular goal on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday. Ben Sheaf was out due to injury at the time. Sheaf has fallen out of the starting lineup since his comeback, but at St Andrew’s, he was brought back in to play alongside the former Arsenal player—chosen over Josh Eccles. The 24-year-old, who was one of three changes at halftime, appeared to be well off the pace.
When asked if the Dane is having trouble right now, Robins said, “It looked that way today.” Although he is still learning the game, it appeared to be too quick for him. He wasn’t alone, in my opinion, and I believe that it was rather challenging for him to come in today because he simply didn’t get it all the way. We ended up being negative and playing the ball back too many times because there were balls being played in and the Blues were playing very aggressively and on the front foot. We were unable to advance with it, so we had to turn around. Even when we did move forward, we were unable to grasp it sufficiently to allow ourselves to develop. The game’s narrative concluded with them winning the ball and busting through us.
City must deliver a standout performance.
The journey to Wembley next week, which will be City’s fourth in the previous seven years, will serve as a much-needed reprieve and diversion from the demands of the league. And all we can do is hope that the players have time to recuperate and consider their performance on Saturday before facing Manchester United with more vigor and assurance. To compete with the Premier League team and make sure they stay in the game instead of losing it early and having a tough afternoon, the Sky Blues will need to dig deep and play the game of their lives. They proved it in the quarterfinals against Wolves, and with the support of the majority of the nation’s neutrals and the Sky Blue Army, they have every reason to do well once more.
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