Season 2008-9 Revisited

Part 1 - The slightly enjoyable bit: August and September.

AUGUST: Three wins, three defeats.

Wins at home to Norwich (2-0) and away to Barnsley (2-1), thanks in part to a Freddie Eastwood 'fluke', put Coventry City at the top of the table with two games of the season played! Six of Chris Coleman's summer signings start in the opening day victory, while 'old-boy' Leon McKenzie notches his 100th career goal against his former side. Hopes that said lofty position would last the entire season disappear when Bristol City end Coventry's unbeaten home record for another season (0-3) - this defeat coming after an interview with Elliott Ward in the day's Sun newspaper, where EW said: 'Coventry are ready to mix it to prove they will not be a soft touch this season'! During the fixture, Chris Coleman is sent to the stands for his outburst against referee Phil Dowd. The powers that be, obviously believing CC was justified, don't give him a touchline ban (Though he does receive a £5,000 fine). To add insult to injury for August, Doncaster also beat Coventry, 1-0 (With Mifsud having a goal disallowed, then DR scoring two minutes later), scoring one of the very few goals they've actually managed at home this season (So far). The match ended with some Coventry supporters gesturing to Elliott Ward, who allegedly gestured back, offering to meet said people 'outside'! In the Carling Cup, Aldershot are disposed off with ease (3-1), before Newcastle fluke a 3-2 victory (With Coventry 2-0 down, before a superb fight-back, that included a second half injury time goal from Dann) to end Coventry's unlikely cup aspirations for another season. The Aldershot fixture was moved to the Wednesday to coincide with the clubs 125th anniversary celebrations, though only 8,500 supporters turned up to mark the occasion, while the Newcastle match, regarded by some as 'the biggest game at the Arena since Coventry City moved there', was far from the biggest attendance - a mere 19,249 turning up. Julian Gray, as deserving of the title 'enigma' as almost anybody currently in football, signs for Fulham on transfer deadline day - a massive shock to those that thought he wasn't good enough for the Championship, let alone the Premiership! Peter Reid finally signs off the dole, and becomes manager of Thailand....

SEPTEMBER: One win, one defeat, three draws.

Coventry finally have a manager at least attempting to find cover for the right-back spot that has troubled the club for 10 years, and attempt to bring Ulises De La Cruz in on loan. Ulises De La Cruz doesn't sign on loan for Coventry City. The right-back spot is filled by playing somebody out of position. Despite starting the match with four strikers on the pitch, Coventry still only manage a 0-0 draw at home to Preston. Leon Best blasts supporters for booing him and the Coventry team versus Preston, moaning that he doesn't want fans cheering him on the odd occasion that he does score if they're going to boo him at other times (I'm sure they don't do that at Nottingham Forest). Coventry then also let Sheffield United off the hook, only managing what would normally seem a respectable 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane. One-nil up through Jay Tabb; then awarded a penalty after a Sun Johai hack at Mifsud which could have made it 2-0 had Elliott Ward not missed it; and a sending off for Sun Jihai after a hack at Michael Mifsud - and still we somehow only managed to draw! (Thanks to Billy Sharp's goal, scored minutes after SJ's early bath .... and in 13 games since, he's failed to score again. This also being the same Billy Sharp that failed to score in his first 20 games as a SU player .... until their fixture against Coventry City last March). Former boss Iain Dowie brings his new side, QPR, to the Arena, and leaves on what for him is the wrong end of a 1-0 result (Said result means that every time I've sat in the 'posh seats' (Five times), we've won!). A 1-1 draw away to Blackpool (Where Coventry have failed to win since 1923) is followed up with a 2-1 defeat away at Cardiff. Unsurprisingly, Jay Bothroyd gets on the score-sheet for the home side.