Sideways Sammy

A fourth defeat in a row makes this Coventry City’s worst run since relegation from League One six years ago. Whereas that was down to incompetence and neglect, to be on a similar run with one of the club’s best ever managers in charge and after a record amount of money was spent in the transfer market is more mystifying. Whatever the reason is, the rot must come to a stop as soon as possible and doing so before the international break would prevent it festering over an extended period.

That the opposition for this upcoming game are a Stoke City side that delivered the Sky Blues their most chastening defeat in years just over six months ago doesn’t appear to augur well. It is worth noting, however, that both of these teams are massively changed since then, albeit, the Potters seem to have got over their teething issues much more quickly than Coventry City have. Taking confidence and form out of the equation, these are two pretty well-matched teams in the early phases of their coming together.

Expected Line-Up

Mark Robins has continued to search for the right combination of this set of players to deliver the win that could begin to turn things around. There has been little to hold onto in terms of team or individual performances to get this team out of the rut they are in, and it looks like Coventry City could be in for their biggest shake-up in terms of the starting line-up in several seasons.

The biggest change could well be a move to a back four for the first time from the start of a game in three seasons. With Kyle McFadzean having been repeatedly caught for pace in recent games and concerns over the team’s ability to create chances further forward, sacrificing the oft-captain for an extra attacking player seems to make sense. Just who would make up a back four will be tricky for Mark Robins to decide.

At centre-back, Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching seems to make the most sense as a partnership due to their experience together at Barnsley – although, that was part of a back three – however, Preston North End’s third goal last week highlighted that they aren’t a particularly dominant duo. Joel Latibeaudiere would hardly address that either, and Luis Binks simply hasn’t been tested enough defensively to know what he could add to the mix.

Those issues in central defence could be eased by selecting defensively-minded full-backs who can tuck-in and maintain numbers at the back. A right-back role would probably be the best use of Joel Latibeaudiere in a back four, with Jake Bidwell looking set to come in at left-back after a sloppy header from Jay Dasilva for Preston’s opening goal last week highlighted the issues with the former Bristol City man being asked to defend in his own penalty area.

The other big selection call is in goal, where Ben Wilson looked no better against Preston North End after being backed by Mark Robins to stay in situ after a costly mistake against West Bromwich Albion in the previous game. Even if Wilson was in better form, Brad Collins’ greater ability to come off his line to cover for the defence and distribute with the ball at his feet could make the transition to a new defensive set-up more comfortable.

Further forward, the question is whether Coventry City’s attacking players can be shoehorned into a likely 4-2-3-1 shape successfully enough to get a result here and perhaps get the team through to January where the situation can be addressed. Haji Wright and Ellis Simms looked decent from wide attacking positions in the second-half of last week’s defeat to Preston North End, but that was against a team allowing a lot of time and space for the Sky Blues on the ball. Furthermore, starting with all three of Wright, Simms and Matt Godden would leave Mark Robins without a senior striker to bring on from the bench, which may see either Godden or Simms kept in reserve, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto occupying one of the wide positions instead.

As for the midfield selection, Callum O’Hare’s clear lack of sharpness following his return from injury and Yasin Ayari’s struggles to make his qualities known leaves Ben Sheaf, Josh Eccles and Jamie Allen starters pretty much by default. Having Sheaf and Eccles sitting in front of the defence could further ease concerns over the back-line being left exposed, with Allen free to push forward, link things up and get into the penalty area in the manner he can be effective in at his best.

Last Time We Met

Coventry City looked to be moving up through the gears into form and the top six back in April of this year, only for a Stoke City side that had little to play for to catch them completely cold. The Potters were tigerish in the press and furiously purposeful whenever they got on the ball, notably causing Luke McNally’s aura of invincibility to slip in the Sky Blues back-line. That was exposed for an early opening goal when McNally clumsily missed a challenge, opening space for Tyrese Campbell to tease in a peach for a cross for Jacob Brown to prod home.

Stoke were all over Coventry and should have doubled their lead long before a simple ball over the top broke the home side’s offside trap, leaving Campbell in miles of space to finish. The Sky Blues attempted a rally after half-time but were never convincing, eventually undone when Will Smallbone fired in just inside the penalty area despite being surrounded by Coventry City defenders. The coup de grace for Stoke City came soon after when Liverpool loanee right-back, Ki-Jana Hoever, turned into peak Cafu and danced through the home defence to finish for the fourth goal.

The Opposition

The Manager – Alex Neil

The Scot has struggled for consistency since making the still somewhat mystifying decision to up sticks from Sunderland to Stoke City at the start of the previous season. That excellent performance at the CBS Arena back in April was part of the team’s best run under Neil, when they looked to have finally clicked into the combative, intense, counter-attacking style their manager had been looking to deploy. However, the Potters soon downed tools towards the end of the campaign and have started this one inconsistently due to an almost complete rebuild of the squad.

New Head of Recruitment, Jared Dublin, spent the summer scouring far and wide for new signings, which robbed Alex Neil of the time to drill a style into his new charges during pre-season. While fancy additions from the continent, and beyond, seem somewhat at odds with Neil’s often pragmatic template, the Scot has started to find combinations that work, built off a solid defence and defensive midfield unit, providing the platform for the attacking players to make the difference.

Who To Look Out For?

The headline names in the Stoke City squad from a Coventry City perspective are Luke McNally and Michael Rose in the Potters’ defence. They are interesting additions for Stoke given just how bad they made McNally look at the CBS Arena back in April and the sense that Rose never quite made the step up to Championship football when with the Sky Blues. It was to be expected that McNally – who presumably didn’t return because Coventry were looking for a permanent deal that Burnley weren’t interested in – has quickly proven to be a class act in the Potteries, that Rose has made himself a regular is more surprising but demonstrates just how well Alex Neil can organise a defensive unit, with Enda Stevens and Ki-Jana Hoever at full-back making up a reliable back-line.

Stoke City’s defensive efforts are enhanced by the presence of Ben Pearson in front of them. A key stalwart of Alex Neil’s Preston North End side, Pearson is incredibly energetic and can cover a lot of ground both with and without the ball, moreover, he is very aggressive in the tackle – having already served a one-game ban for picking up five yellow cards this season – winds opponents up and can help manage games effectively. He is a nightmare to navigate past, especially if his team is in a winning position.

That defensive set up provides the platform for Stoke’s attacking players to hurt teams through quick transitions. Wide-men, Mehdi Leris and Andre Vidigal are not only very quick players but have a goal threat to them, especially Vidigal, who has caught the eye with some wonderful strikes this season. With another ex-Preston North End player, Daniel Johnson, pulling the strings, the Potters need little time on the ball to be dangerous.

Furthermore, Stoke’s decision to invest in an array of attacking options, rather than spending big on one or two, looks to be paying off with key contributions from the bench. Sead Haksabanovic and Bae Joon-ho are additional quick-footed attacking players who can exploit tired defences later on. Adding to that is the giant, one-time £22 million man at Aston Villa, Wesley Moraes, who can really shift the defensive conversation for opponents via both the direct impact of his sheer physical presence and his ability to open up space for his more nimble attacking colleagues.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

If Mark Robins makes the big decision to switch to a back four for this game, Stoke City are going to provide a stern test of just how well the team has used the week to prepare their new defensive set-up. The Potters are incredibly quick on the transition, particularly in wide areas, which is really going to test how well Coventry City can defend those spaces between full-back and centre-back in their new system. If the defensive line gets stretched, that could lead to all manner of outnumberings at the back for the home side.

While there were some encouraging signs going forward during the second-half against Preston North End, that is going to be tested against a Stoke City that are going to be more intense in the press, which will look to exploit some of that frantic, loose passing that was seen last week. If the Sky Blues can get beyond that, the question is whether they have the ability to get past a strong defensive unit, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto likely having an important role to play as the final third playmaker in a starting XI that may otherwise be short of one.