Coventry

[Wombat]

Stopped the rot at least, shame we couldn't snatch it really but sounds like we battered them. The problem is that although we are probably playing some great stuff, some of our tosser fans will just see the score and moan and moan. I hope the new board, players and manager can ignore that. It does feel that our position is not reflective of how we are playing. Patience is a virtue, we'll start winning soon. Just hope it clicks together quick and we can storm up the table, similar to Reading last year.

Joe is smarter than most people give him credit for - excellent post & I concur with everything he says

Bottom of the league, two points from five games, but i'm not the least bit concerned..... all the 'gloom & doom' merchants on here calling for Sousa's head obviously know SFA about football

New players coming in (good ones), new coach getting his tactics across, team gelling, all takes time

With three points for a win, when we get on one of famous unbeaten runs in a week or so, we'll see City zooming up the table, of that I have no doubt

I'm as calm as a cucumber.... play-off spot guaranteed at the end of the season with the squad we have.

Everybody "stay calm & carry on" & get behind the team :icon_wink

 

[Cate Fox]

I don't think we have much choice. We disposed of Martin Allen - let us not re-run the decision - and that hardly lead to a perfect outcome.

Leicester fans were certain that Holloway was an idiot and we were well rid of him! (Wonder what he's doing now. Probably unemployed, or at some non league team).

We do need to give someone time to grow into the job or, like Pearson, start them a division lower.

why mention it then?

 

[Redditch Fox]

This is a rare occasion when I feel properly qualified to comment on the specifics of a game - because i actually attended.

Obviously, we dominated possession and passed the ball around intricately. Cov were awful.

However, I'm convinced that Sousa is determined to stick with his methodology and I'm equally certain that it will take us closer to relegation than the play-offs.

I think he is managing in the wrong league and in the wrong country. It takes far too many passes to get into threatening positions - and most opponents are going to love our style especially at the Walkers when they can sit back and wait for our elaborate moves to break down.

Also the central defenders are dodgy and the strikers aren't sharp enough - although to be fair Waghorn looked out of position down the right flank.

Ourstanding finish by King tho'.

 

[Leesoh]

Hobbs is still a concern for me, he looks a shadow of thep layer from last season but looked a lot more comfortable today with Morrison there.

I think Hobbs has the potential for greatness, but it seems to me at times he gets caught watching the game too much. For a defender, the ability to watch the game is important, but they can't just stand there and suddenly think "shit, I should do something about this". Hobbs will, I hope, grow out of this, I forget just how young he is at times, and expect him to play like a far more experienced player!

If that makes sense....

 

[Macky]

...
If that makes sense....

Perfect sense lees, thanks

 

[From Gradel to Grave]

Coventry City keeper Keiren Westwood was involved in an incident after the 1-1 draw with Leicester City this afternoon.

Some supporters in the CT Stand were blaming Westwood for not reacting quick enough to stop Andy King from equalising in the 75th minute.

At the end of the match, Westwood went to talk to one of the supporters before a steward became involved. Supporters close to the scene, writing on various websites claimed that the keeper asked the steward to step back so not to make the incident look worse.

Other supporters on various websites have claimed that one fan ran down from the CT Stand and hit hit one of those involved on the back of the head before Westwood was pulled away by Sammy Clingan.

From a Cov website.

 

[bocadillo]

We've got them next Saturday :icon_roll

Those rolly-eyes look stupid enough when they're right.

 

[bocadillo]

Even the subs he brought on were "Pearson's Players"

-Well except Howard, who I think was a IH signing? Possibly that ginger idiot.

He was a Holloway signing. He arrived on loan on the same day as Barry Hayles; the deal was made permanent only 2 days later.

 

[The Old Fox]

why mention it then?

The point that I was trying to make is that changing manager mid-season has not been a good option in the past and that I fail to see why it would be any better now.

 

[fitz]

The point that I was trying to make is that changing manager mid-season has not been a good option in the past and that I fail to see why it would be any better now.

I think one difference this time round is the squad we have now is much better.

 

[drummindefender]

What a finish by Kingy!

 

[fox58]

The new Cov manager has had the same amount of games as Sousa, and look where they are?

Walking back to the car after the game, both sets of fans were moaning about their team, Cov because of how poor they were, not only yesterday but in previous games this season, and ours because we played as i someone said 'ping ping' football and can't score goals.

Correct me if I’m wrong but football is about passing to your team mates, moving the ball up the pitch and creating goal scoring opportunities. We did that in abundance against Cov, ok we did not put the chances away and only time will tell if we can start to convert these into goals. However of the contrasting managerial approaches to the beautiful game on display I know which of the 2 I would rather watch for the rest of the season.

 

[The Old Fox]

Walking back to the car after the game, both sets of fans were moaning about their team, Cov because of how poor they were, not only yesterday but in previous games this season, and ours because we played as i someone said 'ping ping' football and can't score goals.

Correct me if I’m wrong but football is about passing to your team mates, moving the ball up the pitch and creating goal scoring opportunities. We did that in abundance against Cov, ok we did not put the chances away and only time will tell if we can start to convert these into goals. However of the contrasting managerial approaches to the beautiful game on display I know which of the 2 I would rather watch for the rest of the season.

Spot on Sir!

 

[Matt_B]

Walking back to the car after the game, both sets of fans were moaning about their team, Cov because of how poor they were, not only yesterday but in previous games this season, and ours because we played as i someone said 'ping ping' football and can't score goals.

Correct me if I’m wrong but football is about passing to your team mates, moving the ball up the pitch and creating goal scoring opportunities. We did that in abundance against Cov, ok we did not put the chances away and only time will tell if we can start to convert these into goals. However of the contrasting managerial approaches to the beautiful game on display I know which of the 2 I would rather watch for the rest of the season.

I don't care how we play if we win, and at the moment we aren't. I think Sousa will turn it round though, and based on yesterday's performance I hope he has his settled first team.

If the goals start coming we will be fine, but yesterday was down to poor defending by Hobbs and a lack of finesse from the strikers, neither of which can be blamed on Sousa. So where he was at fault for the performance against Reading in the first half I don't think he was at fault yesterday, and appears to have seen the error in changing the format.

Plus if we did get rid of Sousa there is nobody to replace him.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Correct me if I’m wrong but football is about passing to your team mates, moving the ball up the pitch and creating goal scoring opportunities. We did that in abundance against Cov, ok we did not put the chances away and only time will tell if we can start to convert these into goals. However of the contrasting managerial approaches to the beautiful game on display I know which of the 2 I would rather watch for the rest of the season.

I think that's a very fair description of one side of the coin.

And if it works out then all well and good.

I'm sorry to say that I don't think it will. Sousa appears much more interested in imposing a playing style that conforms with "his image" and I think sees results and league position as secondary to that.

I can see that this sort of conviction is different and it can be seen as an attractive alternative to playing a more direct game and trying to grind out results.Unfortunately, I don't think we have the players to do it successfully the Sousa way and even if we had I'm doubtful if it would prove particularly successful in the Championship.

Having watched the Coventry game, my take is that Sousa's tactics worked quite well in that specific game i.e. better than they will do against the majority of opponents. But my best guess is that we won't score many goals playing like that; we won't win many matches and by the end of October that he will probably have to go. The result will be a) a wasted season and b) the club having a few new players on the books that it wont want.

I'll do you all a favour now by shutting up on this one for a couple of months - and let's see what happens. I will be very glad to be proved completely wrong.

 

[slyfox]

At this stage of the season the league table often doesn't reflect how good (or bad) teams actually are.

Blackpool are 4th in the Premier FFS.


My initial reaction to the Sousa appointment was one of disappointment, and nothing he's done since then has changed my mind.

But he's still a relatively inexperienced manager and maybe in the last few weeks he's learned some lessons - and has realised he was trying to change things that didn't need changing.
Reverting to what could almost be last season's team today seems to have brought a big improvement in the performance.

Peter Taylor was the same...cocked up big time by dismantling the side....and then signing a load of rubbish which ultimately ended in relegation.

I am glad we had this break Sousa has had time to think things over and has seen sense by keeping faith with the players from last season.. like the old saying if it ain't broken don't fix it comes to mind.

Hopefully now he can add players who are actually going to improve the side,rather than poor continental types, then we will not be far away come May.

 

[Uncle Connolly]

From a Cov website.

Westwood, is a Leicester fan Westwood, is a Leicester fan.

 

[The Old Fox]

Peter Taylor was the same...cocked up big time by dismantling the side....and then signing a load of rubbish which ultimately ended in relegation.

I am not too sure that I agree. Poor old Peter Taylor's greatest error was in buying Akinbye as a straight replacement for Heskey.

 

[Blue Maniac]

I am not too sure that I agree. Poor old Peter Taylor's greatest error was in buying Akinbye as a straight replacement for Heskey.

By no means his only one. Need we remind ourselves of Dennis Wise, Junior Lewis, Trevor Benjamin, Richard Cresswell, Simon Royce, Damien Delaney, Roberto Mancini and Lee Marshall?

 

[Kingy_85]

Give him time. My arse.