Coventry City Preview

By Longsider
December 12 2003

Burnley take on Coventry City tomorrow hoping to continue our recent good form at the Turf. We haven't dropped a point to the Sky Blues in the games played this century and there's no reason for that to change tomorrow.

Burnley take on Coventry City at the Turf tomorrow and will be looking to build on their recent good form. Its been a bad week for the visitors with Coventry manager Gary McAllister taking a leave of absence due to his wife's poor health and everyone in football hopes she will make a speedy recovery. Eric Black, the former Celtic assistant, has taken temporary charge of the club.

The Clarets haven't lost a game at Turf Moor for almost 3 months now and the recent return of 7 points from 9 has steered the side away from the relegation area.

Since Coventry were relegated into this Division they haven't managed to pick up a point against us. Most people will remember the game against our opponents on the last day of the 2001/02 campagin when we won 1-0 but failed to get the second goal that would have seen us in the play-offs.

The same fixture last season saw the Clarets win comfortably with Robbie Blake and Tony Grant getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 victory. The sending off of Craig Hignett was an added bonus for the paying public at the game.

Burnley will have one of their strongest squads, of the season, for the game tomorrow as the injury and suspension problems subside. Only Alan Moore and Graham Branch are currently injured and both of them are making good progress.

New signing James McEvely goes straight into the squad and its at the back where Stan will be spoilt for choice. There are a number of options available across the back line with David May returning from suspension, Roche and Westy fighting out the right back spot, Mark McGregor in good form and of course McEvely arriving.

It would be hard for Ternent to drop McGregor and he may even move the 26-year-old to right back. Mo Camara could well be moved further up the field to accomodate McEvely. This would leave May and Arthur as the centre backs should the manager decide to go along this route.

Should Camara be moved to the left wing then one would assume either Glen Little or Luke Chadwick would miss out. Paul Weller is also pushing for a first team place and should take the place of the suspended Richard Chaplow.

All in all it will be quite exciting when tomorrow's team is announced as most games these season have been quite predictable due to a lack of options available to the manager.

Coventry will obviously miss McAllister in the middle of the park as well as Youssef Safri, who did that awful tackle on Colin Healy, as he is suspended. So the two places in the centre of the midfield will be given to Yazid Mansouri and Claus Jorgenson. Julian Joachim will have a late fitness test, after he tweaked his hamstring during the week, so Andy Morrell is on standby for the former Villa man.

Richard Shaw and Peggy Arphexad are both fit enough for selection tomorrow but its doubtful that either will start.

Possible Burnley Team:

Jensen, McGregor, May, Gnohere, McEvely, Chadwick, Grant, Weller, Camara, Blake, Moore.

Subs: Little, Pilkington, Roche, West and O'Neill.

The referee is Mick Fletcher(Worcestershire)