What the Press had to say
By Tom Pickup
February 14 2005
GREY SKIES AHEAD FOR SKY BLUES- Sporting Life's headline summarised the view of Coventry fans across the country after Burnley beat the Sky Blues 2-0 away from home.
GREY SKIES AHEAD FOR SKY BLUES
Coventry manager Micky Adams has warned the Sky Blues faithful to brace themselves for more misery before any turnaround in fortunes at Highfield Road.
Adams saw Coventry slump to their fifth successive league defeat as they were beaten 2-0 by visiting Burnley, a result which left the Midlanders lying fourth from bottom of the Championship table and just two points clear of the drop zone.
And Adams, presiding over his first home game since taking formal charge last month, said: "It might yet get worse for the fans before it gets better - but what I can promise them is that it will get better.
"The fans have every right to voice their displeasure because the performance we gave this afternoon was simply not good enough.
"Positives? There were one or two individual performances from players but that's what we've got here, some fine individual players and no team.
"In the first half we did everything but score and we wanted more of that in the second half.
"Instead we lost our shape for no particular reason other than bad decision-making from certain players.
"Burnley usually play a 4-5-1 formation but they lined up 4-4-2 against us which tells me Steve Cotterill doesn't think we're a very good side.
"And he'd be right wouldn't he?"
The Sky Blues had been undone in the 65th minute when Tony Grant's slide-rule pass set free Oster behind left-back Steve Staunton.
And the midfielder made no mistake with a delicate chip lifted into the net as goalkeeper Luke Steele went to ground.
Stuart Giddings replaced Staunton less than a minute later but the hosts slipped further behind in calamitous style with 69 minutes on the clock after Steele claimed a cross but then spilled the ball on landing.
And Grant needed no second invitation to waft a mis-hit shot at goal which was then helped on its way by Moore who saw the ball bobble past the wrong-footed Giddings and Dean Leacock before trickling over the line.
Burnley boss Steve Cotterill, who had worked as a coach under Adams during the duo's days at Leicester, said: "That second goal took so long to get over the line I thought the ball had burst, but it turned out to be the clincher for us.
"Our first goal was very well-worked though.
"It was a great move which saw us link together four or five passes which took us from our own penalty area before John Oster came up with a superb finish.
"We'd had to deal with plenty of pressure in the first half when we had to make sure we stood up to be counted instead of buckling.
"We did that and then I thought we were much the better side in the second half.
"With regards to the formation, we didn't go 4-4-2 out of any kind of disrespect for Coventry, it was just that we thought it would work for us today.
"I think we got it spot on tactically."
Taken from SPORTING LIFE
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Coventry 0-2 Burnley | ||
| Second-half goals from Burnley's John Oster and Ian Moore condemned Coventry to a fifth league defeat in a row.
Dele Adebola, Christian Negouai and Gary McSheffrey all went close as the home side created a string of chances. But Oster struck for Burnley on 65 minutes with a chip over keeper Luke Steele after Tony Grant set him up. Coventry's fate was sealed four minutes later when Steele failed to hold on to a cross and Moore helped Grant's shot on its way into the net. -----------------------------------------------------------
"It might yet get worse for the fans before it gets better - but what I can promise them is that it will get better. "The fans have every right to voice their displeasure because the performance we gave this afternoon was simply not good enough. "In the first half we did everything but score and we wanted more of that in the second half. "Instead we lost our shape for no particular reason other than bad decision-making from certain players." "We'd had to deal with plenty of pressure in the first half when we had to make sure we stood up to be counted instead of buckling. "We did that and then I thought we were much the better side in the second half. "We didn't go 4-4-2 out of any kind of disrespect for Coventry, it was just that we thought it would work for us today. I think we got it spot on tactically."
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Coventry: Steele, Whing, Williams, Leacock, Staunton (Giddings 66), Barrett, Doyle, Hughes (Wood 45), McSheffrey, Negouai (John 46), Adebola. Booked: John. Burnley: Jensen, Duff, McGreal, Cahill, Camara, Oster (Roche 88), Hyde, Grant, Valois, Branch, Moore. Booked: Hyde, McGreal, Duff. Goals: Oster 64, Moore 69. Att: 13,236 Ref: S Tanner (S Gloucestershire). Taken from the BBC
Conclusion: Burnley's last game at Highfield Road was a big sucess, here's to 3 points on Tuesday away against Crewe and then see what happen's on the 20th at 1:40pm. | ||