Sinking Without Trace....
By CovSid67
December 1 2007
It's all gone wrong. Three-hundred and sixty minutes of football, three hundred and fifty of them without the Mighty Mifsud, have proved we are a one-scorer team. Our other strikers are just not upto the required standard. This wouldn't be quite so bad if our defence were capable of concentrating for the entire 90+ minutes of each match, and could stop giving away stupid goals. But they're not.
We badly need the potential take-over to become reality, and we badly need to bring in some new faces if/when it does. As far as Ray Ranson's bid goes, it might be happening. Then again, it might not. And if it doesn't, there isn't a hope in hell of us hanging onto our star player. And relegation is almost a certainty. Rumour has it that things are looking positive as far as the deal is concerned, because people were seen smiling last Tuesday.
One point from our last four fixtures, three of them being home matches, gave Coventry City a real chance to push on with a view to staking a claim for a Top 6 place - or at least earn enough points to mean that should administration become a reality, we wouldn't drop into the relegation zone. We blew it. Powder-puff finishing means Mifsud won't have to sweat over whether or not he earns a re-call now his ban is over, as to leave him out, and leave the dead-wood in, would be an act of footballing suicide.
The first points dropped came against bottom of the table - and already adrift - Norwich. Twelve games without a win, with even the boost of a new manager not managing to help turn a poor recent run around straight away. Thankfully for them, Dowie opted for a pairing of Adebola and Kyle up front. Well, maybe the midfield could chip in with the odd goal or two? If we got a couple of penalties. Unfortunately for Coventry City, they had Jamie Cureton, which guaranteed them at least one goal against us .... and so it proved (With Chadwick scoring their other goal). Their use of the loan system will probably help them, having borrowed players from Chelsea (Smith - not involved in this match); Birmingham (Taylor); Newcastle (Pattison); and Derby (Camara), whereas our transfer embargo prevents us from doing so....
TEAM: Konstantopoulos, McNamee, Hall, De Zeeuw, Turner, Osbourne (Gray 75), S. Hughes (Andrews 65), Doyle, Tabb, Adebola, Kyle (Andrews 53). SNU: Marshall, Ward.
More dropped points came with the home fixture against Scunthorpe - the sort of midweek fixture that only the absolute die-hard supporter would turn up to. Their keeper, Murphy, was sent off minutes into the second half, having brought down Tabb as he tried to go round the keeper, and his replacement, Lillis' first task was to pick Doyle's penalty out the back of the net. It wasn't from open play, but it was a goal none-the-less, and we would surely go on to win this (Having created enough chances to win a few matches!). A Goodwin free kick on the hour hit the under-side of the Coventry bar (With Dimi well beaten), and minutes later Cork equalised after an error from Ward. With just under ten minutes left, Scunthorpe were reduced to nine men, with the sending off of Youga, but the away sides 9-0-0 system frustrated the home side and home supporters 'til the referee blew the final whistle.
TEAM: Konstantopoulos, McNamee, Hall, Ward, Turner, Tabb (Cairo 71), S. Hughes (M. Hughes 78), Doyle, McKenzie (Andrews 75), Gray, Adebola. SNU: Marshall, Osbourne, Borrowdale.
Finally came another home defeat, this time against Sheffield United. Coventry City created more chances than SU, and played slightly the better football (OK. Less 'hoooooof-ball!' than their opponents), but woefully inept finishing meant another 'nil' in the goals scored column was recorded (And, to steal a stat from another website (And add one!), we've now gone eleven games without scoring in the first half). Sheffield United were unbeaten in seven (I think), though unless this was an off-day for them, it's difficult to see how they have gone so long unbeaten (Maybe, if Mifsud returns and the goals start to flow again, their uninspired displays but positive results should be inspiration enough for us!). The disappearance of McNamee at half-time would suggest he is injured again(!), while the substitution of Cairo was rightly booed by home suporters, with said player being one of the few plusses of the day. Whatever happened to 'Fortress Ricoh'?
TEAM: Konstantopoulos, McNamee (Osbourne 46), Borrowdale (Andrews 79), De Zeeuw, Turner, Cairo (McKenzie 64), Tabb, S. Hughes, Doyle, Gray, Adebola. SNU: Marshall, Ward.
Computer problems mean my Coventry City fixture list has disappeared, along with a number of other folders (And a fair few unfinished articles for this site!), though bothering to check them anyway seems rather pointless at this moment in time. The probable result seems all to obvious....