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Great Opportunity To Meet The Players

By Neville Hadsley
Date: 13/11/2002

Coventry City will be holding a signing session with players from the Club's first-team squad this Sunday, November 17 at the Sky Blues' Megastore in the West Orchards Shopping Centre.

Mo Konjic, Richie Partridge, Barry Quinn and Dean Gordon will all be present at the event, which will be held at the Sky Blues' city centre store between 1.30pm and 2.30pm.

It's a great opportunity for all City fans who want to get any memorabilia or presents signed ahead of the Christmas rush.

After the signing session, the players will move to the centre of town, where they will make an appearance on stage at Coventry's Christmas Lights switch-on.

*Please note players are subject to change.

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Blackburn's former Coventry winger David Thompson may have only been at Ewood Park a short time, but has already made his mark with the fans and the England manager, having been called into the national squad.
Surprisingly therefore, Thompson is now admitting he was an under achiever at his previous club Coventry who he joined from Liverpool in 2000.

He said: "I was probably trying too hard at Coventry. I didn't want to fit anonymously into the team, I thought for that money I ought to be showing what I could do. The truth is I had no idea what football at the other end of the table would be like."

"All I knew about Coventry, apart from looking at the team, was that they always escaped relegation. They seemed to be on the way up under Strachan, so I naively assumed it wouldn't be that different from Liverpool.

"In fact it was the complete opposite. I had grown up in a team who were used to winning games and dominating possession. Suddenly I was in a situation where you had to fight all the time just to get the ball. Then we would lose it a couple of seconds later and have to start all over again."

Thompson concluded, "Every game was a scrap, it wasn't football as I knew it. I found it very difficult to adapt. By the time Coventry were in the First Division, people were saying I was one of their better players, but I don't believe I ever gave the club anything like what I was capable of."

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Keith O’Neill turned out to support a charity event last week – only to add to his misfortune by breaking his hand in a ‘test your strength’ game.

The unlucky midfielder – who is recovering well after breaking his leg at the end of last season and recently fracturing his other foot – picked up the new injury by hitting a punchball at the fund-raiser.

It is not thought the problem will hamper the progress of the Republic of Ireland international, who hopes to be back in action for City sometime in the New Year

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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Glenn:
Keith O’Neill turned out to support a charity event last week – only to add to his misfortune by breaking his hand in a ‘test your strength’ game.

The unlucky midfielder – who is recovering well after breaking his leg at the end of last season and recently fracturing his other foot – picked up the new injury by hitting a punchball at the fund-raiser.

It is not thought the problem will hamper the progress of the Republic of Ireland international, who hopes to be back in action for City sometime in the New Year<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>If he was a horse he would of been shot long before now [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]

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Gary McAllister has had a busy week on the training pitch as well as trying to attract new attacking talent to the club.

He has revealed the identity of this week’s trialist as a member of Cameroon’s 2002 World Cup squad Joseph Ndo. The 26-year-old striker also played for the Africans in the 1998 World Cup and has 21 international caps, although it turned out this was not enough to secure a work permit.

'We’ve had a good week on the training pitch leading up to a big game,' said the City boss. 'We certainly spend a lot of time on finishing and working on passing movements forward every week. We’ve worked on specifics this week but in defence and midfield as well as up front.

'We’ve had Joseph Ndo from Cameroon on trial this week and we’ve just been informed – as we were trying to get clearance for him – that he’s not met the criteria to gain a work permit, even though I’d been assured he would be able to. When we checked on the FIFA list he’s not played enough international matches so we’ve been let down by his agents.

'He signed for a club in the United Arab Emirates straight after the World Cup in Korea and he’d looked particularly sharp and a good player.

Macca also said his search has highlighted striker Andreas Hermansson from the winners of the Swedish Premier League in 2001, Hammarby, who will join the squad in training next week.

'We’ve had a wee problem getting a Swedish lad called Andreas Hermensson through but he’ll be here at the weekend to watch us play against Wolves and then he’ll train with us next week. At the moment all these players are based on recommendations and we’re searching every avenue.'

Macca admitted the Sky Blues were hoping to secure the services of Dean Windass but were beaten to him by a club closer to where he lives, but he says he will continue his search for a quality striker, even if it is proving a difficult task.

'We enquired about Dean Windass who we went to watch the other night for Middlesbrough reserves but were beaten to him by Sheffield United. I think he lives in Guiseley in Leeds so that was more commutable for him and he doesn’t have to uproot his family for a short-term loan.'

'There are several other players we’re enquiring about but we’re finding it very difficult to get players out the Premier League because the clubs don’t have to let them go. They can carry big squads and we’re only looking for people who can improve our team. We don’t have any cash to buy players with so it becomes very hard to attract quality players at this moment in time.'

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Coventry sold Zuniga? Where to?

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some argentine side

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Fans’ favourite Mo Konjic has highlighted the important role the crowd plays in his performance but has stressed his famous runs forward will be less frequent as he looks to concentrate more on his defensive play.

The cries of the chant ‘Muhammed….’ can often be heard echoing around Highfield Road from the terraces as the defender surges into the box. But with nine goals conceded in the last four games, Gary McAllister has asked the big Bosnian to stick more to his defensive duties.

"The support of the fans is great. They really motivate me. When they are encouraging me they give me 40-50% more power to play better and go forward.

"But we have a very offensive team this season the gaffer has told me we need people who defend to defend. Even if I make something up front I make a risk of conceding a goal.

"The fans encourage me and I do like to go forward but it is more important for me to play and I’ll do anything the gaffer asks me to do."

The game against Sheffield Wednesday saw the centre-back being awarded the Captain’s armband and he has worn it ever since. Leading out his team is something Konjic has been relishing.

"I’m the skipper and I’m really enjoying it. At the beginning I was very surprised to be the captain but it’s a great honour for me.

"Before I just used to concentrate on myself and helping the defence but now I need to motivate everyone. If we’re losing, like in the Burnley game, everyone gets down, even me, and at that time I need to react – anything to encourage everyone.

"You want to be an example, like the gaffer – he’s the manager and playing really well. Any mistake I make now makes me feel worse!"

The practising Muslim is currently celebrating Ramadan, a fasting period, which finishes on December 6, along with Youssef Safri and Youssef Chippo. Although he cannot eat or drink the current Sky Blues’ skipper extends his fasting to ensure his performance is not affected.

"It’s no problem because it’s very, very short - just daylight hours so it’s only from about 5.30am till about 4.30 pm. There’s only a problem if there’s a game at three o’clock. I do get afraid for my muscles because going without water for two and a half-hours during the warm-up and the game can put your muscles in danger. The last thing I want is to get an injury so I make sure I fast afterwards."

This Saturday’s local derby against Wolves is one of the mouth-watering fixtures of this weekend’s Division One games and carries extra importance for the Bosnian.

"Wolves is always a special game but especially for me because I haven’t played against them before. The first one I was injured and the second one I was suspended so I’m really looking forward to it.

"They are a great team and with some good players like, Irwin, Ince and Eddy (Mark Edworthy) who played here. They’re unbeaten in six games and they are the kind of team who will punish you from only one or two chances.


"But they’re coming during a difficult time for us - we’ve conceded six goals and everybody wants to respond. I definitely expect a great reaction from the players.

"Sometimes we are just unlucky and not scoring. The gaffer knows that and every week in training we look to improve this".

The 32-year-old is confident that City can begin to progress up the table and believes a good run of results will help achieve it.

"Our position is bad but our performances haven’t been. I think if we can continue the way we have been playing and score more goals we can be a very, very dangerous team and can definitely be contenders for second place.

"It’s important to make two or three wins in a row then we’d be only four or five points behind second place. I definitely believe in this team but we need to start taking more points - starting with Wolves".

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Team News: Wolves
15 Nov 2002 10:45



Wolves have had to endure their fair share of injury problems already this season and will have at least a couple of key players absent tomorrow.

Scottish international Colin Cameron picked up an injury earlier in the season, recovered from it and then broke his toe against Watford. The midfielder’s reappearance in the side coincided with three wins and since being injured again Wolves have only drawn three.

Despite picking up a respectable draw against Portsmouth recently, the match was expensive for Wolves in terms of injuries. George Ndah was on the wrong end of a Lassina Diabete challenge which left him requiring ten stitches to two gashes on his knee and shin. Top goal-scorer Nathan Blake who has netted ten times this season and Paul Ince also picked up knocks in that game.

Dave Jones said his side missed those players desperately on Monday night. Ndah and Blake are likely to be missing for a few weeks although there is a possibility Paul Ince could recover in time.

"We lost Colin Cameron and Nathan Blake has just picked up ligament damage and had a scan earlier in the week to see how long he will be out for. George Ndah suffered a severely gashed knee after an horrific challenge at Portsmouth.

"Unfortunately Paul Ince picked up an ankle injury which kept him out of Monday night’s game so he was one of four very experienced players missing."

Gary McAllister is aware of the injury problems at Molineux but still thinks the team is full of talent.

"Nathan Blake is struggling and I see him as somebody who could score goals in the Premier League. Colin Cameron might not be available and a few other key players.

"The reports on their young full-backs and goalkeeper say they look pretty confident and they’ve shown good maturity for their ages."

Another player Macca will be watching out for is ex-City player Marc Edworthy. The wide man is now a regular memeber of the team and has been proving a tricky customer. It was his cross that set-up Wolves’ late winner on Monday against Brighton and Macca is glad to see an ex-teammate doing well.

"He went there and worked without a contract and you’ve got to admire people like that. He could have just sat there and thought that because of the amount of games he’s played in his career somebody would come in and get him but he put his reputation on the line and went and earned a contract. It’s always pleasing to see an ex teammate go and earn a contract like that."

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Marc Edworthy is out to show Coventry City what they are missing when he makes his first return to Highfield Road tomorrow.

The former Sky Blues full-back is enjoying a fruitful career revival at Wolverhampton Wanderers and believes his new club’s fans will play a major part in helping his side to victory.

“I have got a lot of friends at Coventry but I didn’t leave the club in the best of circumstances so I have got a point to prove,” said the 29-year-old defender. “I left the club along with Gary Breen and Marcus Hall and have gone on to bigger and better things - the potential here and the fan base is certainly better. Our fans are superb and the atmosphere at home games is far superior to that at Coventry.

“I think it will be very tight and an evenly matched game, but we have great travelling support which I hope will make a difference.”

And Edworthy, who still lives locally in Kenilworth, revealed he will be avoiding his neighbours over the next few days.

“I only live 20 minutes away from the ground in a cul-desac along with a few Coventry fans who often wear their shirts, so I will be keeping my head down over the weekend,” he said.

“I didn’t leave on bad terms with the fans so I have mixed emotions going back to Highfield Road where I will hopefully get a reasonable reception. But I just want to get in, get three points and get out as quickly as possible.”

Edworthy made 84 appearances in four years at City and admits it wasn’t the best period of his career.

“Gordon Strachan swapped and changed things around and I found myself out of position sometimes, playing left-back rather than right-back, and I never really got a good run in the team so I don’t think the Coventry fans ever saw the best of me,” he said.

“I only played 80 odd games in four years which is not as much as I would have liked, but I was also unfortunate with injuries, including having an ankle reconstruction operation which kept me out for seven months.

“Then they brought Roland Nilsson back again which was a backward step as far as my career went. It was frustrating because I was fit a lot of the time but under Strachan, even when we were winning he would change things around.”

Edworthy was released at the end of last season and had to earn his contract during an extended trial period at Molineux - something for which Gary McAllister has great admiration.

“Marc has done well after working without a contract for a while, and you have got to admire people like that,” he said. “He could have just sat there and waited for someone to come and get him but he put his reputation on the line by going there and earning a contract. It is always pleasing to see an ex-team-mate going and getting a contract like that.”

Edworthy added: “I missed quite a lot of football at the start of this season but I am getting into it now and there are quality players in every position. The gaffer is well known for saying that if you play well you keep the shirt, but there’s always someone there to step in, so you have to play well in every game.”

And the defender is equally complimentary about McAllister, saying: “I have got a lot of respect for Gary who is outstanding.

“Coventry have a mix of young and experienced players and they have quality players. They may not be scoring too many at the moment but we can’t be complacent because I have played with the Coventry strikers and they are very capable. It is a big game for us and important that we do well after the disappointing performance against Brighton on Monday.”