Telegraph Article No. 2 09/10 Season

Two games into the season and everything looked fine and dandy for Coventry City (If you exclude our Youth Team losing to Hartlepool in the cup).

Once again they led the table, Clinton Morrison was top of the scoring charts with three goals in two league games, and the Bristol City at home fixture was still weeks away. Chris Coleman seemed to be under the impression people might get carried away by our fine start, but I think most of us know better than that after decades of disappointment....

Sadly, three average to very poor league displays later, and a mere one point taken from nine, has seen some supporters looking to hit the panic button already. That's because most of them know what to expect: poor displays against sides that if we have genuine aspirations of mid-table security, we should be beating (Thankfully I was hundreds of miles away from the shambles that was the Blackpool display!).

The same old excuses are already being made (I think I have already crossed off the Top 100 footballing cliches already for this new season), but I don't buy any of them. Players don't need time to gel. If they are not capable of picking out a player wearing the same shirt, they should not be here. The tricks and flicks can come later, as, for now, basic football and decent results will do just fine.

The 'very small squad of players to choose from' excuse is also not good enough. Only eleven players can start, and our first eleven looks good enough to compete with the majority of (If not every team in) the division. When injuries and suspensions hit we could be in trouble, but supporters should be worrying about said problem when it happens.

Players such as Cranie, Clingan, and McIndoe give the side a far more solid look that last season (And the fact Kieran Westwood is still here is a massive plus too), yet it's a case of 'so far so not good enough', with the same failing as every season costing us: a severe lack of goals - four blanks in six fixtures is a shocking statistic, and it needs addressing immediately. Revealing we are still looking for a striker isn't the answer, signing one is.

Finding out where the Aron Gunnarsson of last season is would be a big help too. He has completely disappeared off the radar this season (And seemingly off my FaceBook list, the same day this criticism appeared in the Telegraph .... coincidence I'm sure), and it's probably only the fact that Michael Doyle is no longer here keeping him from a spot of bench-warming. There are suggestions it's because he has not yet been offered the new contract he wants, but better displays will help his cause, not below-par performances.

It's far to early to start talking about managers leaving, but, despite a lack of transfer funds, I'm guessing Ray Ranson will still expect an improvement on last season. With that in mind, Chris Coleman needs to work out how to get the best from a fairly decent set of players, if he is to last for a third full season with the club. Saturday would be a good time to get the season back on track, against a side we've lost our last three home fixtures against, without managing a goal in reply! (Conceding eight in the process).

The Championship table already has an ominous look about it, with Newcastle, WBA, Cardiff, and Middlesboro occuppying the top four positions, and most people seem to doubt Coventry City will challenge those places, and are more likely to finish at the lower end of the table this season, again. It would be nice if, unlike the players, managers, and pundits comments week-in, week-out, Coventry City could do something slightly original, like play to their strengths, and give their supporters something to smile about.