retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Saturday 1 November 2003

Bradford City 3
Muirhead 30, 38
Atherton 77

CITY 1
Staunton 57 (pen)

Sky Blues Buried At Bradford

This was undoubtedly the lowest point of the Sky Blue season to date, with Bradford City, bottom of Division One prior to this fixture, becoming the latest side to inflict pain on new City boss SBA.

Star of the show for the Bantams was midfielder Paul Muirhead, whose tricky display from the centre of the park proved too much for Lee Fowler and Youssef Safri, who had been brought on in the first ten minutes to replace Craig Pead who had picked up a knock. Muirhead grabbed two first half goals, and although City briefly threatened a revival similar to that at Carrow Road, the hosts ran out comfortable winners.

Manager SBA was forced to replace Eddie Stanford (thought to be out for up to three weeks with an injury) with the available again Fowler. Fowler gave a whole hearted display but having not been with the squad for the entire season up until Thursday, it did seem to affect the overall team unit in terms of the cohesion of movement and passing.

Although the sides exchanged early breakaways it was Bradford who looked the more ruthless in the final third and it was the pacey Muirhead who struck twice in the space of eight minutes to give them an advantage they never realistically looked like surrendering.

City looked to have been thrown a lifeline as the referee spotted some pushing on Calum Davenport after Steve Staunton had floated over a corner early on in the second half. Staunton himself made no mistake with the spot kick to raise hopes amongst the travelling support.

This was one occasion when the Julian Joachim/Dele Adebola partnership was not to bare fruit for City though, with Andy Morrell replacing Adebola who simply seemed to run out of steam midway through the half.

Just to rub salt into the City wounds it was former City favourite, veteran Peter Atherton, who escaped unmarked from a free kick on 77 minutes to glance home the third.

Only then did City show some real urgency but it was all too little too late and on this evidence we will all need to see some drastic improvement in the games coming up if City aren't to be dragged into a genuine relegation dogfight, the one and only thing we don't miss about being in the Premiership.

City have four days to dust themselves down from this result - they take on third-placed Derby County at Highfield Road on Wednesday night.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Bradford City 15
Coventry City 5

Corners

Bradford City 4
Coventry City 2

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Wednesday 5 November 2003

CITY 0

Derby County 2
Morris 38, 40

Morris Rockets Rams to League Leadership

Bonfire Night usually acts as confirmation to everyone that the winter months are well and truly upon us ... and for Sky Blue fans attending this game, it must seem an especially daunting prospect.

City slumped to their second successive home defeat against a lively Derby County side, who with this performance, would have secured three points against far better sides than City.

Gary McSheffrey was brought in for David Pipe in a shock move by manager SBA as he deployed three strikers with McAllister sitting behind them. The strikers were the only City players who could possibly claim exemption from criticism, with little, if anything, in the way of service coming their way for the whole 90 minutes.

This match was likely to be McSheffrey's last for the club, with the Sky Blues having accepted a £170,000 offer from Norwich City - the deal is expected to go through before the weekend.

Craig Pead made way for Geoff Pitcher in the only other change but it was the defensive partnership of Davenport and Robinson who were twice guilty within the space of three minutes of being caught hopelessly out of position to allow Rams striker Lee Morris to crash in two left footed strikes to effectively kill the game before half time.

Derby nearly scored straight from the kick off with Scott Shearer making a fine stop to save City the embarassment of going behind in the opening minute.

City's best chance came just before half time but Julian Joachim was thwarted by the goalkeeper when presented with a glorious one on one situation.

City never looked like breaking disciplined Derby down in the second half and in the end the margin of defeat could have been wider.

Sections of the Sky Blue faithful were leaving the ground with still a quarter of an hour to go, and any honeymoon period manager SBA might have experienced is now well and truly over as the Sky Blues hover just one place above the bottom three in the First Division table.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Coventry City 2
Derby County 7

Corners

Coventry City 2
Derby County 5

retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Thursday 6 November

McSheffrey switch to East Anglia confirmed

Coventry-born Gary McSheffrey has been snapped up by Norwich City in a £170,000 deal. Manager SBA is said to be deeply saddened to have let McSheffrey go but said that circumstances (i.e. the player's wage - £4,500) dictated that his hand was forced.

Mansouri Released

Another player leaving the club this week was Yazid Mansouri. City are only allowed to have a maximum of 4 players on-loan at any one time and SBA had to release one of his existing loanees to be able to bring another one in. Mansouri, who has faded in a City shirt since doing well in the opening weeks of the season, returns to his home club, Le Havre.

As one leaves, another comes in

With manager SBA continuing to have to play the loan market, his latest temporary acquisition is 19-year old Matthew Kilgallon from Leeds United. The German central defender joins in a 3-month loan deal. Manager SBA is thought to be concerned at the recent downturn in defensive efficiency in matches and continues to look to strengthen in these areas. Kilgallon is highly-rated and comes with the recommendation of City's scouting team.

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Friday 7 November 2003

I will move onto on-the-field matters in a moment but first of all I must say that it was with mixed emotions that we had to say so long and farewell to Gary McSheffrey this week.

On the positive side we have to say that we are glad to have finally (if only slightly) reduced our somewhat crippling wage bill by releasing McSheffrey to Carrow Road. Obviously I'm looking for as much scope as possible to be able to wheel and deal in the transfer market and McSheffrey's departure is the first step towards a bit of much-needed freedom in that department.

It is disappointing to have to let such a young player, and one with such promise, leave the club, but we wish him well for the future.

It was decided last week that I should wait until after the Derby game before writing this week's column and after the Valley Parade debacle I was pleased to be able to send the players out against Derby with an opportunity to put things right before speaking to you all on here.

In the event it went from bad to worse, and the prospect of three league defeats on the bounce was evidently rocking the confidence of those on the pitch for the second half on Wednesday. Players were unwilling to take responsibility to try to get us back into the game - they didn't show enough character and it came as no surprise to see some of you leaving before the final whistle.

We go to deepest Kent tomorrow afternoon. Gillingham is not one of the more pleasurable trips to make for the travelling football supporter but for those of you making the trip, I can only assure you that I'll be doing my upmost to try and reward your loyalty, which is obviously being tested under the current circumstances.

To appear here ... Match Details on City's match at The Priestfield ...

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Saturday 8 November 2003

Gillingham 2
Shaw 25
King 42

CITY 1
Adebola 14

Missed Chances Cost City Dear

The lack of a vital cutting edge was to cost the Sky Blues a golden opportunity of picking up their first away victory of the season at The Priestfield on Saturday.

City led at second-placed Gillingham, who looked more like the team scrapping at the wrong end of the table as the Sky Blues carved open their defence on numerous occasions throughout the afternoon. Individual mistakes from an inexperienced pairing at the back once again resulted in a game passing by without reward for manager SBA.

City went back to basics with a 4-4-2 formation which involved them defending deep in two banks of four and a rare start for Stephen Warnock on the left hand side of midfield, with Lee Fowler teaming up with Youssef Safri in the middle and David Pipe pushing on from the right.

Astonishingly, Julian Joachim sprung the home offside trap three times within the opening 10 minutes yet failed on each occasion to put his side in front before turning provider on 14 minutes to supply an inch-perfect cross for ADEBOLA to show the way in the finishing department and put City a goal up.

Gills were apparently there for the taking, and the Sky Blues appeared to be as shocked as everyone on the home terraces at the hosts' defensive generosity.

A second goal would most probably have been the clincher for City but their own defence was to go on to return the compliment later in the half to enable Gills' strikers, first Paul Shaw, and then Marlon King, to turn the game on its' head thanks to a deadly eye for goal which City lacked.

King in particular was allowed the freedom to ghost in in front of his marker Calum Davenport to turn home a near post cross to give the home side a most unexpected half time lead.

City rattled up a total of 13 corners to Gillingham's 1 with Paul Robinson finding himself unmarked from one of them just 10 yards out towards the end of the game but he blazed wide with the goal gaping in front of him.

Joachim was certainly the main culprit for the Sky Blues but this was a 5-fold improvement on the last couple of performances, in which City had been comprehensively blown off the park.

The worry is that if City can play this well and still come away with nothing, the players are at the risk of becoming disheartened and will wonder how much worse the situation has to get before it gets better.

City remain in 21st place in Division One and face a two-week break from fixtures.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Gillingham 6
Coventry City 11

Corners

Gillingham 1
Coventry City 13

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Wednesday 12 November 2003

There was plenty for us to draw encouragement from following our match at Gillingham.

Having forced 13 corners with only one single reply we must consider ourselves unfortunate to have lost the game.

I am looking forward to being able to draft Mo Konjic back into the side now that he has recovered from injury. It's been evident that we've missed his leadership at the back during recent times.

Looking at the other end of the pitch Patrick Suffo is only a matter of days away from full fitness and we will look to him to provide the necessary spark to turn this losing run around.

Teams can get into a losing habit as easily as they can get into a winning habit - and four reverses on the bounce now sees us on the edge of the relegation zone having played 15 of our 46 games.

We have no fixture this weekend and so we should go into the Watford game a week on Saturday with a full squad to choose from.

Rest assured that I am doing what I can to improve the squad quality-wise but I need to be convinced that whoever I bring in can actually influence the first team in a positive manner because the club cannot afford to pay wages for extra fringe players, even if they are only on loan deals.

To appear here ... Match Details of City's match against the Hornets ...

retired_trainer21

SKY BLUE NEWS

Wednesday 19 November 2003

This season to be Staunton's last

Former Republic of Ireland international Steve Staunton has announced that he will be retiring from the game at the end of this season. The left back has been a virtual ever-present for the Sky Blues this season and manager SBA hopes that he will still be able to do a job at the club with Dean Gordon having been resigned to the reserves for most of the season. Should there be no cash available to help find a suitable replacement for the position it is hoped that youngster Eddie Stanford may be groomed for the role long-term.

Robinson returns to South London

Young central defender Paul Robinson has completed his loan spell with City and returns to Millwall. He has covered for Mo Konjic whilst the Bosnian has been sidelined. It is not clear at this stage as to whether or not SBA will pursue his interest in the player.

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Saturday 22 November 2003

CITY 1
Joachim 23

Watford 1
Mariappa 15

City Stop The Rot But Can't Force Victory

City's 4-match losing run came to an end at Highfield Road on Saturday, but with two tough away games to follow, they will be disappointed not to have taken all three points against Watford.

They recovered well from the early setback of losing a goal and could have gone on to complete the turnaround but again were left rueing some wasted chances in the second half.

Watford gave a senior debut to 17-year old left back Paul Coyne in a 3-5-2 formation and it appeared that the busy David Pipe would provide the key to unlocking the visitors' rearguard as he went on several mazy runs down the City right but the strikers were only able to convert one of several of his inviting crosses.

After the sides exchanged goalscoring opportunities early on it was the Hornets who scored first after a corner wasn't cleared and Shearer could only palm the resulting shot into the path of right wing back Mariappa who was left with the simplest of chances to score.

With the home fans again fearing the worst it was absolutely imperative that City struck back quickly and they did so midway through the half after Craig Pead released Pipe in space with Julian JOACHIM the beneficiary as he swept home the youngster's low cross at the near post.

Pead was operating alongside Gary McAllister and Lee Fowler in the midfield while there was a recall for Mo Konjic at the back, and City did look more solid than they had done in previous weeks.

Danny Webber was always a threat for the visitors and there were occasions when Scott Shearer had to be on his guard to prevent City sliding to a defeat which could have proved close to terminal for inexperienced manager SBA, even at this early stage of his career, given the games at The Hawthorns and Turf Moor which follow later this week.

Even though Joachim is the Sky Blues' top scorer, he must have been left kicking himself for spurning a couple of excellent second half opportunities as City went for the victory.

Pipe was replaced by Youssef Safri with 20 minutes to go after the Hornets made a tactical switch. This saw McAllister pushed on in a more advanced role and he was involved in a lovely move, combining with Pead, to set up Andrew Whing in injury time at the end of the game. The ground held its' breath as Whing went across the keeper with his shot from the right angle of the goalmouth but the ball went an inch the wrong side of the post.

City are still in 21st position in Division One but given the difficulty of the couple of games coming up, will do well not to be in the bottom three this time next week.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

Coventry City 10
Watford 9

Corners

Coventry City 4
Watford 3

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Wednesday 26 November 2003

West Bromwich Albion 1
Clement 79

CITY 0

Baggies Finally Break Brave Sky Blues' Resistance

A Neil Clement goal 11 minutes from time helped to maintain Albion's promotion push and at the same time plunged the Sky Blues into the Division One relegation zone.

Not many pundits would have predicted City to take anything other than defeat away from The Hawthorns, but they came very close to shutting out The Baggies and claiming what would have been seen as a mini-triumph at 0-0.

Jason Koumas, who had been nullified to a large degree all evening by the hard working City midfield, clipped in a left wing corner where Clement emerged from a ruck of players to glance the ball home at the near post. Having done so much to ensure Albion did not break them down in open play, manager SBA will have been devastated to see his side concede from a setpiece, Albion's only corner of the night.

SBA made wholesale changes to his starting eleven. Both Adebola and Joachim were withdrawn with Patrick Suffo starting his first game for months as a lone striker. Suffo did pretty well in this unaccustomed role before picking up a knock on the half hour when he was replaced by Adebola.

City went with five in midfield, with the recalled Stanford on the left and Pipe on the right being encouraged to get forward and support the frontman whenever possible.

There was also a change in goal with Pegguy Arphexad being given a rare start in place of Shearer.

Albion had most of the play in the first half but were restricted to mostly long-range efforts, many of which didn't trouble Arphexad.

There was also a recall for Geoff Pitcher, who was full of running in the midfield alongside Youssef Safri and Lee Fowler.

City's ploy was clearly to frustrate, although they did see worthwhile chances fall to Stanford and Adebola while at the other end former City striker Lee Hughes was well marshalled throughout by Calum Davenport. The central defender's performances have clearly returned to somewhere near the level of earlier in the season now that Mo Konjic is back alongside him.

City pushed forward in numbers following the breakthrough goal and Adebola saw his instinctive injury time side foot volley go straight at the Albion keeper. Had it gone either side then the Sky Blues might still have come away with the unlikely point they had laboured all evening for.

City are now 23rd in the First Division Table and face a trip north to Burnley on Saturday.

Should there still be a zero in the away wins column after that, then SBA will suddenly find himself under huge pressure to deliver a winning run in December, the kind of yuletide sequence which the Sky Blue fans have become familiar with in recent years.

MATCH STATS

Goal Attempts

West Bromwich Albion 10
Coventry City 4

Corners

West Bromwich Albion 1
Coventry City 3

[This message was edited by SBA on 22 December 2003 at 10:19.]

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Thursday 27 November 2003

A bit of a hectic week on the field so I thought I would wait until today before writing the weekly column.

Having reacted in a positive fashion to going a goal down against Watford at the weekend it was a disappointing not to have taken the three points.

I tried everything to encourage the team to go forward in the second half but in the end we just ran out of time just at the point when it appeared that a winning goal was just around the corner.

We went to West Brom to try and do what so many other sides have done to us at Highfield Road this season - to frustrate and hit the home side on the break.

We managed to carry out the plan effectively for the whole 90 minutes. To concede from a set piece left us all feeling a bit deflated but I will be looking at ways of preventing such 'soft' goals by working at it with the players on the training ground.

Patrick Suffo did well in his first full game back from injury - albeit that it only lasted 27 minutes. I am reliably informed however that it was just a knock and he should be available for selection this weekend.

We go to Turf Moor this Saturday to face a Burnley side that have produced some very inconsistent results so far this season, and we hope that their win last night will be followed with a defeat.

To appear here ... match details of City's trip to Burnley ...