Prior to Wednesday night, Coventry had been the epitome of bang-average so far with a record of two wins, five draws, and two defeats, but their 1-0 win over Blackburn has edged them into positive territory.
Given the loss of key men Viktor Gyokeres and Gus Hamer this summer, the fact that Mark Robins has been able to steady the ship so quickly while bedding in replacements, is an achievement in itself.
The Blackburn win made it two in two following on from their 3-1 win at QPR at the weekend game, but prior to that they hadn’t won since August 12, when they beat Middlesbrough 3-0 in their first home game of the season. But the signs are that they’re slowly finding their feet again as they push to replicate their play-off finish of last season.
Stylistically, the Sky Blues have not changed, with Robins utilising his normal 3-4-1-2 formation while incorporating a box-midfield that worked so well for him last season.
In goal, they have the oft-overworked Ben Wilson who has earned praise for his performances thus far.
In central defence, Kyle McFadzean is a solid, dependable fan favourite who was missing through injury last season when a newly-arrived David Wagner saw his City team win a thriller at the CBS Arena. McFadzean has been joined by a revolving cast of other centre-halves who appear to chop and change every other game as Robins searches for the best balance.
Luis Binks is an interesting addition. A youth player at Spurs, he left their academy in 2020 to join Montreal Impact in Canada before being picked up by Bologna, who then loaned him out in consecutive seasons back to Montreal, then to Como, and now to Coventry.
Binks has started the last five games on the left side of their back-three so you would expect to see him on Saturday. The other likely options to join them are Bobby Thomas – a promising young centre-back acquired from Burnley – and former Swansea defender Joel Latibeaudiere, who has also played at wing-back (and did so on Wednesday night).
At wing-back, Jay Dasilva has made the left-hand side his own and is a potent crossing threat going forward, although he can be exploited for his lack of height in defence.
On the right, as well as Latibeaudiere, Coventry have given recent game time to Feyenoord Academy graduate and Dutch U21 international Milan van Ewijk, and Japanese international midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto. If the latter starts on Saturday it is perhaps a sign that Robins is looking to go more attacking.
In central midfield, captain Liam Kelly is a quality player who, but for injuries, would probably have played at a higher level. Alongside him, youngster Josh Eccles has graduated from their academy to become a regular this season and has produced some impressive performances and may be one to watch around future transfer windows as bigger clubs are likely to be sniffing around.
The likes of the dependable Ben Sheaf and Jamie Allen also remain in the building as options.
In the attacking midfield role, time has been split between Championship veteran-of-many-clubs Kasey Palmer and Swedish international youngster Yasin Ayeri, who is on a season-long loan from Brighton.
Jamie Allen also filled in for the wins over QPR and Blackburn so may be favourite to reprise that role against the Canaries. As with the centre-backs, Robins appears yet to be settled on his preferred option.
Up front, there are three main options for the two slots. Lumbering target man Matt Godden is a likely starter, and given his brace against QPR, big-money Gyokeres replacement Ellis Simms is likely to be given ample opportunity to keep his place alongside Godden.
USA international Haji Wright is a club-record transfer from Antalyaspor but has yet to settle consistently and is likely to be on the bench, although his confidence will be boosted by having scored the winner against Blackburn.
Overall, it might have been better to have met Coventry earlier in the season before they found their feet in the wake of those big-name departures, but even so, you would expect Norwich to be at least competitive here – especially with David Wagner demanding a reaction following the disappointing defeat at Swansea.
Given that Coventry have drawn half of their matches so far, I would not be shocked to see this end up similarly.
Interesting assessment but strangely flawed. Godden is not a target man; he is a goal poacher who plays off the target man. Kelly is injured according to the Cov ET, so is Palmer and so is Sheaf apparently. Van Ewijk is also struggling for fitness and Sakamoto isn’t trusted by Robins but might play because of injuries.
All of this is widely available on the Cov ET. And the comments sections reveals that many of their fans are unhappy with the bang average start.
Thanks Fat Dave. You’re absolutely correct about Matt Godden, I had him confused in my head with someone else when I wrote this.
When I put these together I look at previous line-ups and formations to give the reader a rough idea of which players we might be facing. 9 times out of 10 I’m pretty accurate in this.
I’m not a paid journalist like those at the Coventry ET and I’m not trying to be. I work 6 days a week and do this in what spare time I have. I don’t look at every available website regarding the opposition and whether a player may or may not be carrying a knock. I just discuss who has been in the team recently and how the team has set up.
If you’re looking for up-to-the-minute injury detail, the local paper is always going to be a much better bet than me.
You may not be Fat Dave’s cup of tea Mr H, but you’re definitely ours!
As far as your Ed is concerned, your previews tick every single box and are, without fail, an entertaining and informative read.
You keep on keeping on ol’ partner.
Hi Andy,
Always like your previews.
It’s your personal opinion and they are usually very close to the mark.
Keep up the good work.
Hear hear … well said, Alex.
After I got the score right for the last game (but the wrong way round) I will again opt for a 2-1 win for the Canaries.
Let’s hope the travelling supporters have something to celebrate on the long trip home
I’ve just read that the City shirts will be sponsored by the Samaritans fpr tomorrow’s game. The way this season is shaping up it might be a good idea to keep them.