Sideways Sammy

Failing to muster a response to falling behind away at Bristol City at the weekend leaves Coventry City waiting for a big performance or set of results to get the season going. A trip to a Rotherham United side that most would expect to beat, or at least avoid defeat against, seems unlikely to provide that big moment, but there is a danger that a poor result here could really put this team under pressure.

These nondescript midweek away trips may seem like low-key affairs but digging out results in them can be vital in keeping a campaign on track. With Rotherham United already in a position where they will have to battle for any points they can get, this Sky Blues side cannot afford to show up to this game with a lax attitude.

Expected Line-Up

Ben Sheaf returning to the starting line-up last time out was a boost, but with no sign of Liam Kelly, Kasey Palmer or Callum O’Hare following suit and with Jamie Allen returning to the injury list too, Mark Robins has still yet to enjoy having a full complement of midfield options to choose from. It seems as a if Kelly and Palmer will remain out of contention for a while still, with Callum O’Hare unlikely to be thrown in the deep end any time soon, it only looks to be Jamie Allen who might ease the injury situation in the middle of the park.

Jamie Allen being back would probably put pressure on Tatsuhiro Sakamoto for his starting place just behind the strikers. Finding a position for Sakamoto in the 3-4-1-2 system that Mark Robins has stuck to for all but a few minutes since the start of pre-season remains a quandary, but the Japanese winger’s pace and skill on the ball might be useful to utilise from the bench at this moment in time, providing the team with the ability to move up through the gears that it struggled to find at the weekend with Sakamoto starting in an advanced role. Even if Allen isn’t fit to start here, that consideration could see Yasin Ayari come into the starting line-up.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of options to change the team up but no-one outside of the starting XI is really making a strong case for inclusion.

Last Time We Met

It was another classic example of just how much Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres carried Coventry City last season when the Sky Blues made the trip to Rotherham United back in February, as they looked to keep their play-off hopes alive. The Millers started brightly and were denied an opening goal for a foul on Ben Wilson at a set-piece that is hard to identify on replay and were largely the better team in the first-half at the New York Stadium.

While the opening goal didn’t involve either Hamer or Gyokeres, it could be argued that the attention required to shut the duo down allowed Jamie Allen to get into space to scuff home from a neat bit of build-up play between Kasey Palmer and Jake Bidwell. Rotherham struggled to get going after that blow and eventually saw a loose touch near the centre circle pounced upon by Hamer, who slid Gyokeres through for a late goal to seal the three points in a tight game that Coventry City were arguably second-best in.

The Opposition

The Manager – Matt Taylor

After doing well to keep Rotherham United up last season after replacing the long-serving Paul Warne, Matt Taylor has struggled to maintain momentum at a club with one of the smallest budgets in the division. The loss of a couple of key players – most notably, Chiedozie Ogbene, who scored for Luton Town in the Premier League at the weekend – has been hard to overcome, with Rotherham struggling in just about every area at the moment.

Home form looks set to be crucial for Matt Taylor in his bid to keep Rotherham United in the Championship, with the team having been woeful on the road thus far this campaign – albeit, having drawn at Southampton in their last game. While they have only won one home game out of five thus far, they have been far more competitive at the New York Stadium. They are a side that can fight and scrap when at their best, but a lack of quality at both ends of the pitch has seen them struggle to pick results up consistently.

Who To Look Out For?

For a team that has had to a lot of defending this season, having an excellent goalkeeper, in Viktor Johansson, is what is keeping Rotherham United in a competitive position. The Swede is a great reaction shot-stopper who can shut out even high quality finishing on his day, which can provide a launch pad for just a few things to go right at the other end of the pitch. The Millers also have committed, physical defenders, in Lee Peltier, Cameron Humphreys and Grant Hall who can put their bodies on the line to make blocks to reduce some of Johansson’s workload.

In front of that defensive unit, Christ Tiehi, Hakeem Odoffin and Cafu are big, physical midfielders who can cover a lot of ground and slow play down in the centre of the park, with Ollie Rathbone less physical but prodigiously hard-working as another option. With Odoffin tending to sit, Tiehi and Cafu are tasked with pushing forward, with the latter offering occasional moments of quality with the ball.

Getting goals out of attacking figurehead, Jordan Hugill, is likely to make or break Rotherham United’s season. The target-man is another hard-working physical presence in this Millers side, but he has shown with other clubs at this level that he has enough quality about him to score goals at a good rate. The plan has been to surround Hugill with pace, via the likes of wingers, Fred Onyedinma, Andre Green and Arvin Appiah, with Sam Nombe having been recruited from Matt Taylor’s previous club, Exeter City, as a mobile strike partner.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

While Rotherham United could have an advantage here having seen their game last Friday against Ipswich Town postponed, they equally could be rusty having gone over two weeks without a competitive fixture. What that pause in action will likely have down is sharpen the focus on the Millers’ league position, with them increasingly in danger of being cut adrift in the relegation zone. Even if there are question marks as to the quality of this Rotherham side, a lack of desire shouldn’t be an issue for them here.

Rotherham United have ambitions under Matt Taylor to be a front-foot team, but without much in the way of playmakers, they have tended to revert to dropping deep and looking to play balls forward for their quick wide-men to make use of. If Coventry City end up having extended spells of pressure in this game, they are going to have to be careful in not leaving themselves exposed to pace at the other end, particularly if that involve Kyle McFadzean being left stretched to cover.

On top of that, the Sky Blues are going to have to show some quality and invention in their attacking play in this game against a physical Rotherham United side who will look to block and slow things down in the centre of the park. Ben Sheaf is going to have to take a lot of responsibility for both controlling the tempo of the game and showing the range to his passing to open things up, having the wing-backs bombing forward will also be important in stretching the Millers out wide. It will then be up to the strikers to convert chances, but being able to create higher-quality opportunities for them has to be the goal here and moving forwards.