Coventry Telegraph Article 6 Season 2012/13

For supporters so used to being kicked in the teeth they have their own chair reserved at the dentist, Mark Robins walking out on Coventry City still came as a massive surprise.

So it would have been music to their ears, two games in, two defeats, and ten goals against already, to hear him say: ‘it is the most embarrassed that I have been in all my time as a manager’ following Huddersfield’s trouncing versus Forest.

With McGoldrick – already re-named ‘McGoaldrought’ by Ipswich fans! – quitting the club as quickly as possible too, you have to wonder if it’s actually worth trying to bring people to the club that could make us successful.

Some fans have defended Robins, and stated we would all leave given the chance to massively increase our wages. Somehow I don’t think it’s the money side of things that was the problem, more the positive sound-bites made days before. We were warned he would do this by Barnsley and Rotherham fans.

I guess having to take a part-time job at McDonalds to make ends meet was why neither could be bothered to stick around till the season ends, as it must be hell trying to survive on thousands of pounds a week.

Robins only had to stay till the summer and he would have been hailed as a genius for taking us from second bottom to within a shout of the play-off places or better, and could have had the pick of far better jobs that Huddersfield boss. The same goes for McGoldrick.

I also somehow doubt we would be trying to over-turn a 0-3 deficit in the JPT final, and that we would have lost at home to Yeovil had McGoldrick been near the fourty-four chances created over the afore-mentioned two games.

One of the things proved by Robins tenure is that good results won’t necessarily bring the crowds back. Robins first game, versus Carlisle, saw an attendance of 10,674; after eight wins in twelve, the match against Preston saw 12,230 turn up; with Robins last match, versus Yeovil, seeing 11,277 turn up.

Aside from the two people that helped turn our season round deserting us, the little matter of the rent has reared its ugly head again.

For those that think SISU should just pay up, the near extra million pounds a season the club have been paying since moving to the Ricoh (Compared to ACL’s current offer) is the difference between keeping Westwood, Fox, Dann, Turner, Gunnarsson, King, and one or three others. A top half of the Championship side, minimum, if ever there was one.

Despite the departure of a manager that finally got our players playing to their true capabilities (Rather than punching below their weight like so many have in previous seasons), and a striker capable of hitting thirty goals in a Sky Blue shirt, we are still in with a decent shout of the play-offs.

Here’s hoping those left with the responsibility of seeing us through till the end of the season prove there’s life after Robins.