retired_trainer21

SBA Talks Exclusively To CM Stories

Wednesday 24 March 2004

Another week has passed with things going according to plan on the field. I was offered a cigar during the second half on Saturday but didn't take it!!

I must pay tribute to Geoff Pitcher who has really adapted like a duck to water since joining the club.

He has been our only signing of note all season (in terms of being given regular first team football) and if he can continue to develop as he is doing, may prove to be a key figure next season.

He has taken on the mantle of being our most creative central midfield player whilst also contributing fully in defensive areas.

It was perhaps too much to expect to thrust him straight into the side when he first arrived here. He did well in the first few matches but then struggled a little bit. It is clear however that a spell in the reserves has done wonders and he has returned to the first team a more confident player.

Although a couple of our recent wins have owed as much to our change in fortune as our improved performances, I did feel that we were full value for the three points on Saturday.

Mark Goodman now looks well set to end the season as our top goalscorer. I can assure people that if the offers do come flooding in during the summer, we will be doing what we can to keep him at the club. It was only a few short months ago that he was a regular in the Under-19s side and it is important that we all remember that.

I am also pleased to see that Mo Konjic has reacted in the right manner to being left out of the side for such a long period. He never complained during that time and got on with training in the same way as he did before. He is now reaping the benefits and I thought his performance on Saturday was his best of the season.

So it's a weekend off for us but I plan on holding some light training sessions on Saturday and Sunday before we concentrate on the Watford game.

SBA

retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Tuesday 30 March 2004

Developments on the transfer front as the exit door from Highfield Road has been revolving in recent days ...

Safri Says His Farewells

Youssef Safri has signed for Rotherham United in a £220,000 deal.

The Moroccan midfielder had been on the transfer list for a while and the Yorkshire outfit moved for him last week with the deal finalised yesterday.

Safri was always a popular figure during his near three-year stint with City. The emergence of a new crop of midfield talent meant that SBA was always going to be tempted to sell should a reasonable offer come through.

Two More Leave

Also departing the club this week are Vijay Singh (Wigan Athletic) and Michael Briscoe (Accrington Stanley).

Singh scored one senior Sky Blues goal, in the win over West Ham in January, while Briscoe never took the field for the first team.

Singh leaves for £70,000 but SBA was pleased to secure the probability of a further payment which will be due to the Sky Blues should he move on from Wigan. 20% of any sell-on figure will be payable to City. Briscoe attracted a fee of £10,000.

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Wednesday 31 March 2004

Watford 1
Webber 40

CITY 1
Goodman 5

Super Alec Keeps City In Check

The heroic goalkeeping of 39-year old Alec Chamberlain denied City two league points at Vicarage Road tonight.

The stopper excelled to deny young hotshot Mark Goodman a probable hat-trick as Watford somehow emerged with an improbable draw from City's visit. It was one of City's best displays of the season but on this occasion, thanks to Chamberlain, they could not force victory.

City were unchanged with Suffo and Goodman continuing up front and Goodman it was who propelled the Sky Blues out of the traps.

After some neat build up play on the left it was Suffo who curled the cross to the edge of the six yard box where GOODMAN glanced the ball across Chamberlain and into the far corner.

City were already sensing easy prey in their quest for win number three on the road this season. They were swarming all over Watford in all areas of the pitch and should have killed the game at 2-0 long before the home side grabbed an equaliser.

Goodman and Suffo both had shots tipped away for corners but it was Geoff Pitcher who had the clearest sight of goal. He played a one-two with Suffo before finding himself with a clear run on Chamberlain. After finally convincing himself that he was not off-side he went on to prod the ball beyond the 'keeper only to see his effort come back off the inside of a post.

The Hornets drew level as Webber latched on to a Helguson flick on leaving Shearer to pick the ball out of the net, his first serious call of duty of the night.

Watford suddenly found impetus from the goal and hit the woodwork themselves straight afterwards through Helguson.

SBA's half time talk appeared to have re-focused the Sky Blues as they emerged for the second half ready to take the game back to Watford once more.

They looked certain to go in front when Goodman saw a drive blocked but Stanford, still waiting for his first City goal, ballooned the ball over the crossbar with the net gaping.

There was even time for the returning Julian Joachim, on for Suffo, to burst clean through in injury time. He also saw his low shot turned away by the veteran 'keeper.

So, a frustrating night for City as they round off the month of March. However they are currently on a run which includes just one defeat in the last twelve games.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Watford 4
Coventry City 14

Corners

Watford 1
Coventry City 8

retired_trainer21

SEASON 2003-04

Review Of The Season So Far: MARCH

March Results

(a) Crewe Alexandra drew 2-2 Goodman 2
(h) Bradford City won 2-1 Whing 2
(a) Derby County drew 1-1 Suffo
(h) Gillingham won 2-0 Goodman 2
(a) Watford drew 1-1 Goodman

LEAGUE POSITION

City are currently 12th in Division One. They have won 12, drawn 16, and lost 11 of their 39 games played. They have scored 46 goals and conceded 43.

They are 13 points above the relegation zone, 9 points off the play-off places, and 15 points off the automatic promotion places.

Leading Goalscorers (All Competitions)

Goodman 14
Joachim 7
Adebola 7
Staunton 6
Suffo 3
Whing, Morrell, Barrett 2
Davenport, Pead, and Pipe 1

Average Player Ratings

Figure on far left indicates full appearances. Figure in brackets indicates substitute appearances.

1. 15 (1) Mark Goodman 7.06
2. 40 Andrew Whing 6.93
3. 34 (5) Steve Staunton 6.92
4. 36 Calum Davenport 6.81
5. 16 Eddie Stanford 6.75

retired_trainer21

SBA Talks Exclusively To CM Stories

Thursday 1 April 2004

The first tentative stages of clearing the financial cloud hanging over the club have been made this week, with three players leaving.

It was with regret that we had to let Youssef Safri go. If financial restraints were not what they were then there is no way we would have allowed a player of such quality to leave. He had become the linchpin of the side in recent seasons but, thanks to the excellent youth development set up here, we feel that his loss will not prove to be the shattering blow it might have been last season.

We realise that the fee we acquired for Safri was not reflective of his influence but in selling him we are now free from his salary.

We were unfortunate to come up against a goalkeeper at the top of his game last night, when we should have taken all three points at Watford.

The pleasing aspect was the high ratio of attempts we managed to get on target. For that reason it would be unfair of me to lay blame at the door of those who went so close to getting what would have been a crucial second goal.

With seven games to go all we can do is try to accumulate as many points as possible before the end of the season. Next Wednesday sees Burnley visit Highfield Road. They are one place below us with the same number of points. We are highly placed in all the form guides at the moment and it would be nice to continue our excellent run through April.

At the same time I realise that the flipside of all this is that the supporters' expectations are constantly rising in anticipation of what might be achieved next season. So long as we're all pulling in the same direction then those aims might not be so far away as they seem.

SBA

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Wednesday 7 April 2004

CITY 1
Staunton 45 (pen)

Burnley 1
Blake 75

Blake Blast Denies City

A 30-yard rocket from Clarets' striker Robbie Blake meant that the Sky Blues had to settle for a point in this mid-table battle at Highfield Road.

A nine point gap at this late stage means that it is now virtually impossible for City to force themselves into a play-off position. However they could not have argued that Burnley were not full value for their share of the spoils as City saw a Steve Staunton penalty cancelled out in the second half.

SBA again named an unchanged side but was forced into a familiar defensive reshuffle when Mo Konjic was forced off through injury on the half hour. Craig Pead filled in at right back with Whing moving across.

The visitors threatened, particularly from dead ball situations, early on, with the big men going forward but Scott Shearer denied them on one occasion, with Staunton also forced into an off-the-line clearance.

City were struggling to get their wide men into the play with Stanford and Pipe both having quiet games.

In City's best moment early on Andrew Whing picked out Goodman with a long ball over the top. Goodman rounded the 'keeper but fired into the side netting from an acute angle.

The Sky Blues went in front on the stroke of half time when Suffo had his legs taken away just as he shaped to shoot.

STAUNTON drilled home his seventh goal of the season from the spot, and maintained his 100% penalty kick record.

Burnley, with Chadwick and Kinkladze becoming increasingly influential, dictated the game through much of the second half with City being forced back.

Suffo was withdrawn from the action in favour of Lee Fowler who was brought on to help City in the middle of the park.

Just when it was looking as though City had weathered the worst of the storm, Burnley got their equaliser. It was a fine individual effort from Robbie Blake who struck from well outside the area and beyond Shearer's left hand.

Clarets' full back Lee Roche was sent off for a second yellow card soon after as the game simmered going into the final stages.

SBA acted by introducing Joachim from the bench but City never looked likely to grab a winner.

This is City's 17th draw in their 40 games this season and whilst they should certainly have taken all three points at Vicarage Road last time out, they were grateful for this latest stalemate.

City are 12th in Division One and are in action at Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United on Saturday. The Blades are currently fourth in the table.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Coventry City 3
Burnley 7

Corners

Coventry City 1
Burnley 4

retired_pahuja_satish

quality stuff, great read.

retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Thursday 8 April 2004

Dons In For Quinn

The Sky Blues have made further inroads into reducing their worrying wage bill after agreeing to allow Barry Quinn to depart to Wimbledon on a free transfer.

The Irishman showed plenty of promise early on in his time at City, but never quite fulfilled his undoubted potential. SBA will be pleased to have agreed the deal with Quinn showing no immediate signs of threatening a place in the first team. He signed his current contract with the Sky Blues before the club were relegated from the Premiership in 2001.

Quinn will complete the move in July.

retired_trainer21

SBA Talks Exclusively To CM Stories

Friday 9 April 2004

For the first time in quite a while, I can honestly say that I wasn't particularly pleased with what I saw in our game on Wednesday night.

The season is drawing to a close and the carat of the play-offs appears to be out of reach but I do not expect that to translate itself into the players' attitudes, especially not in such transparent fashion.

Having got ourselves into a comfortable mid-table position it was disappointing to see the players visibly slipping out of the good habits that had contributed to our climb up the league. Some of them appeared to have turned their attentions to their summer holidays a little too early.

Three shots at goal in a home game isn't acceptable - and I was keen to make the players aware of that afterwards.

One defeat in thirteen is an excellent run but it will have partly gone to waste if we don't continue to work at improving until the season's end.

Perhaps I need to shake things up a little for our game at Sheffield United on Saturday, having fielded an unchanged side for the Burnley game.

The squad has got smaller after the recent departures but that doesn't make the current first team players' positions any more stable. If I detect a change in attitude then I will owe it to the fans to use what money is available to look around for alternative options in the summer.

We have a chance to put it right at Bramall Lane tomorrow. There should be a good atmosphere with the home side very much in the play-off picture.

I'm confident that we will see a reaction tomorrow to what I've said, both in this column, and in the dressing room. However in order for us to see full value, in terms of reward, from these types of games, we really need to be making sure we beat the lower ranked sides at Highfield Road.

SBA

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Saturday 10 April 2004

Sheffield United 4
Brown 10
Cook 50
Parkinson 73
Kabba 86

CITY 0

City Rocked By Blades Blitz

Sky Blues manager SBA showed no hesitancy in declaring Sheffield United the best side that his team have met this season. Having brought his own players' desire into question following City's last game, he fully acknowledged that the Blades' performance was of the five-star category as he saw his side torn apart at Bramall Lane this afternoon.

City were never really in the game and were fortunate to escape with just a four goal beating by the third-placed Blades. This was City's first defeat in nine outings, and they were certainly made to suffer with United pouring forward, seemingly at will, during the second half.

SBA made changes to his starting eleven with the most unexpected of those coming in goal. Young Jonathan Tuffey came in to replace Scott Shearer. The scoreline does no justice to how well Tuffey actually performed, and he will not have been grateful to his manager for introducing him into such a torrid game for the Sky Blues.

Calum Davenport also missed out with Whing alongside Konjic and Pead starting at right back. Isaac Osbourne was recalled for Suffo, who was away on international duty.

After a brief City flurry in which there was no indication of what kind of afternoon was to lie ahead, the home side went close after Kozluk's cross was met by Cook, only for Tuffey to save at full stretch.

United went in front on ten minutes with Michael Brown firing beyond Tuffey and into the roof of the net from twelve yards out.

City struggled to string many passes together with the Blades hungrily hunting down the Sky Blue shirts at every opportunity. When City did manage to break into the final third they were met by the rock-like defending of Chris Morgan and Robert Page, who made defending look so easy all afternoon.

Despite City reverting back to the 4-5-1 formation they were second best in midfield with Brown and Tonge a constant menace.

There was hope of a revival as the teams kicked off for the second half with Pipe sending a volley just wide but soon afterwards City were further behind.

Brown turned provider to send in a low cross for the awaiting Cook who side-footed United into the comfort-zone.

Although Warnock went close for City they were always being kept busy at the other end of the field. The introductions of Joachim and Fowler did nothing to stem the tide.

After some excellent goalkeeping by Tuffey he was finally beaten for a third time by Parkinson, and for a fourth by Kabba as the steel-city side rounded off the afternoon with a flourish.

City are down to 14th in Division One. It will be interesting to see how they react to this defeat but it doesn't get much easier as they travel to The Stadium Of Light, Sunderland, for a Friday evening fixture this week.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Sheffield United 19
Coventry City 2

Corners

Sheffield United 5
Coventry City 3