Before the summer transfer market closed, one of Mark Robins’ top worries was whether Coventry City had enough players to get him through a demanding and long season.
Before the deadline at 11 p.m., he wanted two more new hires. He succeeded. This summer, the club lost a total of 14 players (9 permanent departures and 5 loan acquisitions), while 11 new players, including 2 on loans, joined. What does that mean for the Sky Blues between now and the following recruiting window in January?
Most managers adhere to the general rule of thumb that there should be at least two players vying for each position. This numbers-based approach encourages friendly rivals to push each other while also providing sufficient depth in case of injuries or bans. But with a little bad luck, increasing casualties can quickly become a manpower crisis, necessitating the use of round pegs in square holes as emergency cover.
Here, we examine the players’ names and numbers as well as the depth of City’s roster for the upcoming four months.
Goalkeepers
The Sky Blues have an overabundance of senior stoppers for the foreseeable future—in all honesty, one too many—thanks to third-choice Simon Moore’s decision to remain put during the summer transfer window. With the summer signing, Ben Wilson is essentially cemented as Robins’ top choice. Moore appears to be unnecessary, with Brad Collins’ current understudy sitting on the bench. Additionally, development manager Cian Tyler is standing by.
Centre-backs
Liam Kitching’s arrival on deadline day increased the central defense numbers back to the necessary minimum of five players vying for three positions. Bobby Thomas and Joel Latibeaudiere, two right-footed center backs for Robins, and Luis Binks and Kitching, two left-footed center backs, will now square off
Robins had five last season, with Luke McNally, Michael Rose, Callum Doyle, and Jonathan Panzo rounding out McFadzean. That was more than enough for the duration of the season, though it was challenging to maintain everyone’s satisfaction because Rose and Panzo saw little game action in the second half of the campaign. Of course, Jake Bidwell is also capable of playing in that position and is always a backup in case of need.
Wing-backs
With summer arrivals, this is another position that, assuming everyone remains healthy, doesn’t seem too bad on paper. On the right, Milan van Ewijk and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto are competing, and on the left, Jake Bidwell and Jay Dasilva are squabbling over a shirt. We have yet to learn the extent of Dasilva’s ankle injury from the weekend and whether it will start to burden the team. It has made it possible for Bidwell to receive a run, which will boost his confidence. Van Ewijk and Sakamoto can both play on the left, while central midfielder Josh Murphy can play there as well, so should something happen to him in the interim, the team shouldn’t be overtaxed in terms of resources.
defensive midfielders
Following the transfer of standout player Gustavo Hamer, who was moved farther forward with excellent results near the conclusion of the previous season when Liam Kelly joined Sheaf, Ben Sheaf and Eccles have made an impressive start to the new campaign. Eccles has been holding his own in the position, barring a slump against Watford, so it’s obvious that Robins wants to give him plenty of first team playing time to improve. But in terms of depth,
here is where the team appears to be the weakest.
After a prolonged summer layoff due to a heart scare, Jamie Allen is expected to resume full training the following week. Although his most productive position is at the top of the midfield, he is more than capable of playing in a deeper midfield role.
The format Currently, Kasey Palmer and Yasin Ayari are City’s two most exciting attacking options in the space behind a front two. The 19-year-old is still very much a work-in-progress and as he adjusts to the Championship’s tempo, he needs to learn to be more disciplined out of position. While everyone waits for Callum O’Hare to return and the tantalizing thought of him and Palmer at the top of a midfield box, Jamie Allen is another option when healthy. But City looks thin in this area until Allen and O’Hare are back up to speed, which, in all honesty, may be another month to six weeks depending on their match fitness and sharpness. Sakamoto is an additional musician.
strikers
The sharp end of the pitch is where most teams will have four players vying for two spots, as City did last season, but the Sky Blues currently have three in Matty Godden and summer acquisitions Ellis Simms and Haji Wright. Although Robins has the fallback option of using the incredibly effective midfield box formation with a lone striker, that is now functioning fine but it only takes one or two injuries for the numbers to start to appear light. This season, Fabio Tavares will return from a long-term ailment, but he won’t be fully recovered for another month or two. Ayari, meanwhile, is a versatile operator who may serve as backup in an emergency.
Conclusion
There should be enough cover to last until January, but whether there is enough quality depends on City not being hit with a ton of injuries and bans. The main worry will be adjusting to life without Gustavo Hamer and a player of that caliber, even though the Brazilian is a relatively special player due to his enormously significant and all-encompassing position in the team.
