retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Thursday 25 September 2003

Suffo sidelined

City striker Patrick Suffo broke down in training this week. He could be sidelined for up to two months with a torn groin muscle.

City have Ifura within range

The Sky Blues are about to sign rookie central defender Marien Ifura from Queens Park Rangers for a fee of £8,000.

Joachim deal is cancelled

Swindon Town were on the verge of agreeing a 3-month loan deal with the Sky Blues for Julian Joachim. However SBA cancelled the deal at the last minute, probably as a result of hearing of Patrick Suffo's injury. Releasing Joachim would have left him very thin on the ground in attack.

CITY v Reading match details to follow ...

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET ...

Saturday 27 September 2003

CITY 2
Adebola 68
Joachim 76

Reading 2
Sidwell 42
Forster 83

Forster foils City comeback

City looked to be on the brink of a much-needed win at Highfield Road on Saturday before Royals hitman Nicky Forster struck to signal a fifth draw in eight games for the Sky Blues, who are still left searching for their second victory of the campaign.

The first half provided no clues as to the drama we were going to get in a second half full of incident.

SBA decided to give Pegguy Arphexad a rare start in place of Scott Shearer - and his stay on the pitch lasted all of five first half minutes before becoming involved in a nasty collision with a combination of his own defenders and visiting strikers - prompting SBA to replace him with Shearer.

SBA opted to partner Dele Adebola up front with Julian Joachim, and it was the former's header which led to a vital clearance off the Royals goal-line but that apart it was a fairly non-descript first half.

The City players must have been wondering what sort of reception they would get at half time, both from the fans and the manager as Reading won a corner on the left - leading to a goalmouth scramble and the ball eventually finding its' way to the unmarked Sidwell who side-footed home from six yards out.

SBA made a second enforced substitute soon after the interval when he replaced Youssef Safri, who was carrying a knock, with Graham Barrett, who went on to have his best game of the season to date.

The Sky Blues were transformed in the second half with David Pipe raiding down the left hand side giving cause for hope of a turn-around.

It was Pipe who fed Joachim who in turn crossed for ADEBOLA to nod City level midway through the half.

Suddenly the fans had turned full circle and were urging the side on at every opportunity - and another slick move initiated by Staunton and Pipe left JOACHIM sprinting clear of the Reading rearguard before lifting the ball over the advancing keeper to put City 2-1 up with fourteen minutes to go.

However City were again to concede a crucial goal in the last ten minutes of the game - Nicky Forster had waited all afternoon for a chance - and when it came he was in no mood to let it pass.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Coventry City 12
Reading 5

Corners

Coventry City 4
Reading 2

retired_trainer21

SEASON 2003-04

Review of the Season so far: SEPTEMBER

September Results

(a) West Ham lost 1-0
(h) Wigan drew 1-1 (Joachim)
(a) Preston lost 1-0
(h) Reading drew 2-2 (Adebola, Joachim)

LEAGUE POSITION

City are currently 18th in Division One

They have played 8 games, have won 1, drawn 5, and lost 2, scoring 6 goals and conceding 6 goals. They currently have 8 points and are 2 points above the relegation zone, 5 points off the top 6, and 8 points off the top 2

Leading Goalscorers (All Competitions)

Joachim 3
Adebola 2
Suffo 2
Davenport 1

Average Player Ratings (All Competitions)
Figure on the immediate left indicates number of first team starts with the figure in brackets indicating substitute appearances

1. 9 Whing 7.00
2. 9 Davenport 6.89
3. 4 (2) Suffo 6.83
4. 2 (3) McAllister 6.80
5. 1 (4) Adebola 6.80

retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Wednesday 1 October 2003

McSheffrey & Doyle both surplus to SBA requirements

Both Gary McSheffrey and Michael Doyle have been placed on the transfer list by manager SBA.

He is said to be particularly upset at the action taken with McSheffrey, who is a home-grown talent with a clear passion for the club.

The player's wages amounted to £4,500 a week however, and with no immediate prospect of first team football it was decided that McSheffrey needed to be moved on.

However SBA has thus far been totally unproductive in his efforts to trim the wage bill, which is of massive immediate concern in the boardroom.

SBA added that Doyle just did not possess enough quality to figure in his long-term plans.

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Thursday 2 October 2003

The second half performance against Reading at the weekend was, in my opinion, the best sustained spell of play we've seen from a City side this season.

To let the two points slip (for the second home game running) was therefore all the more frustrating.

We can only keep on chipping away and hope that the results come right for us in the games ahead.

It has been said before but Division One is a strange league with the teams being much of a muchness - the example this week being bottom of the table Norwich City beating table-topping West Bromwich Albion.

I'm sure I'm not the only manager in the Division who feels that his team's league position is somewhat false - despite the fact that we are now into October.

It was with great sadness that I had to inform Gary McSheffrey that he was being placed on the transfer list this week. However he, possibly more than any other current player, is aware of the financial difficulties at the club and I was delighted with his understanding and maturity on receiving the news.

We wish him all the best for the future and know that he will continue to give his all whilst still at the club.

On Saturday we travel back down to London once again, this time for a game against Wimbledon in Milton Keynes - and for those of you that are going, well this really will be a novel experience, how times have changed. Let's make sure we take the three points and go some way to changing them back again for the better.

To appear here ... Match Report on Wimbledon v CITY ...

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Wimbledon 1
Gray 7

CITY 1
Morrell 62

Morrell off the mark to grab a point for City

Super-sub Andy Morrell finally opened his account for the Sky Blues and helped gain City a point but it was Scott Shearer whom manager SBA was left singing the praises of after yet another draw.

City have now drawn 2/3 of their 9 league games to date, but, in contrast to many of those that had gone before, they could definitely put this game into the 'point gained' rather than 'two points lost' category.

Shearer made a string of fine saves in the City goal as gritty Wimbledon dominated the game for the majority.

They were ahead as early as the 7th minute when a lofted through ball by Alex Tapp went sailing over the head of Mo Konjic for striker Gray to run on to and slot the ball beyond the advancing Shearer, who went on to give a faultless performance for the rest of the afternoon, possibly angered at being dropped to the subs' bench for last week's game against Reading.

SBA did his best to make things happen for the Sky Blues, taking off a fading Yazid Mansouri and replacing him with David Pipe as they tried to react to their early setback.

Craig Pead was also withdrawn before the interval following a crunching tackle in the midfield and was replaced by Stephen Warnock.

City won a corner in the 62nd minute, and that was the opportunity for SBA to replace Dele Adebola with a determined Morrell. No sooner had MORRELL sprinted to take up his position for the corner inside the Dons' 6-yard box than he was sprinting towards the jubilant City support after pouncing to slide in on a loose ball after Konjic's initial header was blocked.

Morrell could have won it for City but blazed over from inside the area, no doubt due to a rush of adrenaline at the prospect of netting twice inside 20 minutes after failing to register in the entire season before this game.

It was left to Shearer to preserve the point for City at the other end with a couple of superb saves at the death.

The results might be following a certain pattern but on this evidence the performances are definitely not ... but that, I suppose, is the First Division for you.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Wimbledon 11
Coventry City 3

Corners

Wimbledon 1
Coventry City 5

retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Tuesday 7 October 2003

Pipedream fulfilled

David Pipe has been called up to the Wales international squad for the first time for an upcoming friendly. He has said he is delighted to have made it into the national squad at such a young age.

SBA gives Whing backing

City manager SBA has publicly acknowledged right full back Andrew Whing's contribution to the City cause so far this season. Whing has been an ever-present in the side and currently tops the club stats in the list of 'match rating' figures. SBA stated that should Whing continue to make strides as he has done in the last few months then he could go on to become a real star in the game.

City poach Pitcher

The Sky Blues have signed 28-year old Geoff Pitcher from Brighton & Hove Albion. The midfielder had spent a period on loan at Third Division Macclesfield where he shone every time he took the field. The player admits the step up to Division One football will be tough to adjust to but is delighted in the faith that City manager SBA has put in him, the fee being £7,000. Pitcher's arrival will mean increased competition for the midfield places at Highfield Road.

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Thursday 9 October

All things considered we were reasonably happy to come away from our trip to Milton Keynes with a draw.

Having gone there looking for the win against Wimbledon I must confess to being most impressed with the way they knocked the ball about, especially having had the confidence boost of the early goal.

Credit to us for the way we kept at it, showing once again that while a team is only the one goal down the game is still alive - and if ever anyone needed a goal it was certainly Andy Morrell - not the prettiest of goals you'll see but certainly a potential kick-start to the season for him - and that can only be good for the team.

I am very encouraged with the results coming through from the Under 19's fixtures so far this season ... and should the opportunity arise, will not hesitate in looking to provide some of the youngsters with first team experience if I feel it necessary. For all the financial turmoil at the club, it is very gratifying to continue to see a good supply-line of youth team players coming through the ranks - for which this club has long since had an excellent reputation.

We have this weekend off due to the internationals but then embark on another hectic spell, starting with Rotherham at home on Wednesday, a side who are currently sitting pretty in 4th place in the table. Naturally we are expecting a tough game but as we have already seen in this league, there isn't much variation in difficulty whether playing 4th from top or 4th from bottom and so we must concentrate on our own performance levels and ensure we move into the right half of the table sooner rather than later.

Just to give an indication of how tight this league really is, in all of our 9 games in the season so far, the only time there has been more than a one goal difference in a match was for the last couple of minutes in our win against Cardiff in August when we won 2-0.

To appear here ... match details of City's game against Rotherham United from Highfield Road

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Wednesday 15 October 2003

CITY 3
Pipe 13
Adebola 20
Joachim 36

Rotherham United 2
Weatherson 50
Thorrington 85

Deadly debutants steal the City show

The Sky Blues produced a superb first half performance that was ultimately to prove enough to claim all three points - but only just!!

Manager SBA sprung a major surprise when the teams were read out before the game. Eddie Stanford has been impressing for the Under 19 side and this had not gone unnoticed by the City boss. SBA seized the opportunity to fill the problem left-sided midfield position with Stanford - and the youngster went on to fully justify his manager's faith, he didn't let anyone down and produced a sublime cross for Julian Joachim who netted City's third, and ultimately decisive, goal.

Out of the side went Mansouri, McAllister and Pead. Another player making his Sky Blues debut was Geoff Pitcher in the central midfield role alongside Safri. The shock signing (who has plyed his trade in the lower divisions throughout his career to date) also gave an impressive performance as City produced a slick first half offering, with the ball being sprayed out to Pipe and Stanford on the flanks at every opportunity. The City wide men clearly had the beating of the Millers' full backs who were powerless to prevent Calum Davenport switching the play from left to right for PIPE to run into space down the inside right channel before blasting the ball across the keeper and into the far corner to give City a flying start on 13 minutes.

Soon after Andrew Whing chipped in a near post corner where ADEBOLA rose unchallenged to power a header into the roof of the net.

City were clearly pepped up by the arrival of the newcomers and this seemed to have sent a message out that no-one's place in the team was automatic.

Then came the pick of the bunch as Safri measured an inch-perfect pass out to the left where Stanford teased his marker before supplying JOACHIM with the luxury of being able to pick his spot from eight yards out.

3-0 against a team occupying a play-off spot before kick-off may have appeared as a shock scoreline across the country but in reality this type of outcome was coming at some point with City unable to make use of territorial dominance in previous home games this season.

Having said that it wouldn't be the Coventry City we all know and love without the odd heart missing a beat and when the Millers' lively frontman Weatherson pulled a goal back early in the second half any half-time thoughts of a 5 or 6 goal hammering were quickly banished.

City should have gone 4-1 up as the second half wore on, Joachim guilty of missing an even easier chance than the one he did convert.

He was not made to pay the price though, although Rotherham snatched a second five minutes from time to set up a nervy but thankfully trouble-free finale.

So the Sky Blues have completed 10 games and this was just their second victory. They move up to 16th in the table and travel to Norfolk to face bottom of the table Norwich City on Saturday, where a first away win would see them well and truly clear of the dreaded danger zone, which had beckoned ever nearer after so many draws and defeats in recent weeks.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Coventry City 7
Rotherham United 5

Corners

Coventry City 4
Rotherham 3

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Thursday 16 October

Good things come to those who wait as they say, and last night's first half display was all the more satisfying following our recent pattern of results.

To be three goals clear at half time was pleasing enough, but the manner in which we went about our business was the most gratifying aspect.

Eddie Stanford managed the daunting task of stepping out of the Under 19 squad and going straight into the first team admirably well, and he gave us a different attacking option as I believe that in recent weeks teams had become wise as to how we had been trying to create chances.

The goals are being nicely spread about which is another plus point for us. I have not yet settled on a first choice pairing up top - and it would be difficult at this stage to predict who will end up topping the goalscoring charts at the end of the season.

Patrick Suffo's absence was a concern and he will give the squad a boost when he does return.

I was pleased to see Geoff Pitcher come in on Saturday and give an accomplished performance in the midfield - an area where we did need added depth. He was certainly full of running and I was impressed with his straightforward approach to the game - leaving the likes of Pipe and Stanford to express themselves when we were attacking.

At the other end the likes of Shearer, Davenport and Whing continue to be solid and reliable although I feel we may be a little bit short in that area should injuries or suspensions kick in.

I've made it a big priority to try and move a few players on in order to trim the wage bill which might allow the flexibility to be able to strengthen in the defensive areas.

But 'moving players on' is not easy in the current footballing climate.

A quick turnaround then as we go to Carrow Road to face Norwich on Saturday - I think it's good that we have a game so quickly following the victory over Rotherham ... two wins in four days would be just the tonic we all wished for to push us back up the league.

Match Details of Norwich City v Coventry City to appear here ...