Sideways Sammy

For all the speculation and rumours over Mark Robins’ departure and his replacement, it would be easy to forget that there is football to be played. With just one point separating Coventry City and the relegation zone, the club is not in a position to allow focus to slip away from picking up results. Any points that Rhys Carr can pick up for the Sky Blues during his interim spell in charge could prove invaluable in earning his successor time to bed into their new job.

Perhaps, whoever is waiting in the wings to take over at Coventry City may be tactically avoiding these next two games in order to have an easier start to life at the CBS Arena. Starting with this game against a Sheffield United side who would be league leaders but for a two-point deduction, the Sky Blues are set to face some of their most difficult games of the campaign over the next four days. Maybe it’s best to leave the temp to face the hospital pass?

Expected Line-Up

With the announcement of a new head coach still pending, at the time of writing (10am on Friday before the game), Rhys Carr will continue to lead Coventry City. The coach did well to secure a point at Sunderland last time out, getting the team to play bravely despite the difficult circumstances both off the pitch and on it. If elements of that performance can be taken into this one, the Sky Blues will have a chance here.

With as many as seven players out for the Sunderland game, Rhys Carr looks to have a better hand to play here with several now available but now faces some difficult decisions as to whether to build on the second-half display last time out or to integrate key players back into the side. The first decision is in goal, where Brad Collins provided a timely reminder of his abilities with some big saves while Oliver Dovin was out with a mystery injury. Just where that leaves the goalkeeper pecking order is not clear but Collins has surely earned a chance to nail down that number one jersey.

Elsewhere, the returns of Ben Sheaf and Josh Eccles in midfield frees Joel Latibeaudiere to move back to defence and restores competition for places after Bobby Thomas, Luis Binks and Liam Kitching started as the back three last time out by default. As valuable as Latibeaudiere seems to be right now as the closest thing to a leader among this set of players, he is probably slightly behind in the pecking order currently in both defence and midfield, which could see him drop out of the team here.

For all the positive news there seems to be on the player availability front, losing Haji Wright for what seems to be a few months is undoubtedly a huge blow both for this game and looking ahead to whoever the new head coach will be. A fit again Ellis Simms will be vital in mitigating the loss of goal threat, while it’s a call between Brandon Thomas-Asante and the newly-capped, Norman Bassette, to provide some of the running up top Wright provides the team to get opponents on the back foot. Perhaps playing Tatsuhiro Sakamoto just behind the strikers could further soften the blow of losing what Wright gives to Coventry City.

Last Time We Met

Coventry City’s last meeting with Sheffield United, on Boxing Day in the 2022-23 season, was best remembered for a significant injury picked up by Callum O’Hare early on. As for the game itself, the Sky Blues ultimately lacked the killer instinct required to claim a point at one of the toughest places to go in the Championship, Bramall Lane. In a pretty even contest, Sheffield United took the lead from a counter-attack in the first-half, led by the brilliant Iliman Ndiaye, who Coventry failed to lay a glove on as he set up James McAtee to score.

That lack of killer instinct presented itself firstly when Jake Bidwell won a penalty just after the break, which Viktor Gyokeres saw saved. Sheffield United were then two up, when Ciaran Clark headed in from a corner. Coventry then wilted, allowing the Blades to make it three with Tommy Doyle firing in at the near post. That meant that Gyokeres’ goal soon after was a consolation effort and that even when the home side later went down to ten-men, it would have no impact on the final result.

The Opposition

The Manager – Chris Wilder

Perhaps some managers are only meant to be effective at one club, Chris Wilder seems to be proving that at Sheffield United. After dragging the club from League One mediocrity to mid-table in the Premier League in his first stint, Wilder has returned to Bramall Lane following underwhelming stints with Middlesbrough and Watford to start a new era after the club endured a traumatic previous season in the top-flight, where many of the stalwarts from the manager’s previous spell at the club had aged beyond their years of effectiveness.

Having looked a jaded figure after arriving in the middle of a lame attempt to stay in the Premier League, epitomised by a furore he got into over a referee eating a sandwich, Chris Wilder looks re-energised this season. Overseeing a clear-out and rebuild of the squad – aided by those handy parachute payments – Wilder has moved away from the three at the back system that had defined his first spell at Bramall Lane and got Sheffield United playing entertaining football that has proven effective at winning points. Tantalisingly, from a Blades’ perspective, there is an underlying sense that this team still has a few gears to move up into.

Who To Look Out For?

Sheffield United look to have played the ultimate rope-a-dope tactic in getting promoted to the Premier League to have enough money to afford Gustavo Hamer, been so bad in the Premier League that nobody noticed how good he is, all so they could have someone far too good for the Championship who may well, almost single-handedly, get them back into the top-flight. I don’t need to explain to you why Gustavo Hamer is good, we saw that for three seasons at Coventry City. Interestingly, he has largely operated in a left-sided attacking role, but he is making it work because he can excel just about anywhere on the pitch.

Joining Hamer this season has been Callum O’Hare, who left the Sky Blues seeking Premier League football and looks to be taking he slow train to get that destination. O’Hare caught the eye early in the season at Sheffield United, because he is so energetic, skilful and has an eye for making things happen around him, the familiar issue of a lack of end product has started to become a criticism at his new club but he is someone who can be ill-ignored.

It’s not just the ex-Cov show (remember to say hi to Sam McCallum too) at Sheffield United, they have so many other dangerous attackers that if one or two can be stopped, there are still multiple ways in which they can beat teams. From the rangy winger, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, the beanpole centre-forward, Kieffer Moore, to the in-form poacher, Tyrese Campbell, the Blades demand a lot of concentration from their opponents to keep them out. On top of that, Harrison Burrows from left-back is a real force to be deal with, storming up the pitch and providing quality with his final ball.

At the back, Vinicus Souza has shaken off a poor season in the Premier League to prove to be a stout protector of the defence from a midfield position. Mike Cooper in goal, seemingly a recent transfer target for Coventry City, has proved one of the best in the division since arriving from Plymouth Argyle over the summer. In central defence, Ahmed Ahemhodzic is a really classy presence with his ability on the ball, with the massive Harry Souttar alongside him to help in physical battles.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

Concentration levels are going to be vital for Coventry City here in giving themselves a chance in this game. Sheffield United have such a diverse array of attacking threats that it’s not the case of making just one or two players out of the game, it’s about maintaining shape and preventing there being holes for them to pick through. As has been seen so often with this defensive unit, concentration is not one of their top qualities – Luis Binks and Liam Kitching, in particular, being concerns for their tendency to sleepwalk into ball-watching mode at key moments.

If there is an area of opportunity for Coventry City here, it will be in looking to get behind Sheffield United’s full-backs, Harrison Burrows on the left, in particular. The Blades were able to beat Sheffield Wednesday last time out by replacing the more defensive Alfie Gilchrist at right-back with the attacking Femi Seriki, if they continue with that here, there is fragility to target. It might even be an idea to move to a back four for this game to have that likes of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Ephron Mason-Clark and Brandon Thomas-Asante looking to target the gaps out wide Sheffield United’s attacking full-backs may leave.