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OPPOSITION INSIGHT: Coventry City
Ahead of Swindon Town's trip to Coventry on Saturday, Total Sport spoke to Andy Turner of the Coventry Telegraph to discuss all things City.
1) Are Coventry fans resigned to relegation to League Two this season or has Russell Slade given the club cause for a bit of optimism heading into the final furlong of the campaign?
"The majority are. City need at least eight, if not nine wins from their last 14 League One games. They've only won five all season. Last Saturday's victory over Gillingham was their first in 16 in the league and has given the faintest glimmer of hope that the team can pull off a miracle."
2) What difference, if any, has Slade made to Coventry since his appointment just before Christmas?
"He's switched to 4-4-2 in the main and drafted in eight new players - four permanent signings and four loans - but one win in his first ten League One games speaks for itself."
3) The Sky Blues were challenging for promotion last season, why the sudden drop off?
"The return of three loan players to their parent clubs - Adam Armstrong (20 goals), Jacob Murphy (10 goals) and Ryan Kent - all exciting forwards with blistering pace. Then poor recruitment in the summer and a failure to replace the missing pace and goals."
4) Although a near-impossible task, could you possibly briefly outline the furore surrounding the club's supporters with owners SISU?
"Nine years of mis-management off the field and largely abject misery on it. City have suffered one relegation and are facing a second. The decision to take the club out of the city and play a season at Northampton lost thousands of fans, many of whom refuse to go while the owners remain."
5) On that subject, SISU banned the Coventry Telegraph earlier on in this season. What is the relationship between the pair now?
"No change."
6) Coventry have made it to the final of the EFL Trophy, a controversial competition, but there seems to be a relishing of it, why is that?
"The fans have been starved of success. The trip comes 30 years since they last went to Wembley in the club's finest hour in 1987 when they beat Tottenham in the FA Cup Final.
"They have not had a single play-off/promotion push in that time, not even a top six finish."
7) Looking ahead of tomorrow, what is the Coventry team news?
"High energy striker Stuart Beavon could return from a calf strain, as could skipper and centre-half Jordan Willis (hamstring). On loan forward Charles Vernam is also fit again following a shoulder injury. Goalkeeper Lee Burge is set to return from a concussion which forced him off at half time last Saturday."
8) And finally, what sort of match are you expecting at the Ricoh Arena? (Score prediction as well if you want).
"City will probably play well in the first half and then it will be a backs to the wall battle if Swindon mount a fight-back in the second. The pitch is dreadful so it won't be pretty. 2-1 City win."
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