Sideways Sammy

After Saturday’s capitulation at Portsmouth, Coventry City and Frank Lampard are in need of a win to prevent that one bad result spiralling into something much worse. A Boxing Day home game against a team that lets in an average of just under three goals in every away game couldn’t be a better opportunity for the Sky Blues to get back on track but it’s a fixture that comes with the risk of creating more pressure if it doesn’t unfold as expected.

Bottom-placed Plymouth Argyle will be coming to the CBS Arena looking to drag another team into the relegation scrap. While they haven’t yet won a game away from home this season, Coventry City’s mediocre form this year at their own ground will be seen as an opportunity for them to reverse their fortunes. If there’s anyone in Sky Blue feeling sorry for themselves heading into this game, they are up against an opponent desperate to take advantage of that.

Expected Line-Up

There are few who can come out of the Portsmouth game with any kind of credit, however, it could be just as damaging to make wholesale changes to the line-up and disrupt the work Frank Lampard and his coaching staff have been doing to implement their methods as it would to keep players in the XI who may have suffered serious blows to their confidence at the weekend.

The headline decision heading into this game is in goal, where Brad Collins made several costly errors last time out that reversed the momentum of the match. It’s not just that Collins made mistakes but how drained of confidence he looked by the end of the match that would make it a remarkable decision to keep him in situ. It looks set to provide a chance for Oliver Dovin to get a run in the side over the festive period, ahead of there being a potential decision to make in January over whether to bring somebody new between the sticks.

At the back, Jay Dasilva will probably be taken out of the side after switching off for Portsmouth’s crucial second goal on Saturday. Aside from Milan van Ewijk, for whom there is no real alternative, there is a strong argument to change the entirety of the back-line. However, there is a risk that could unsettle the rest of the team to bring in so many unfamiliar voices at the back at once.

The midfield and attack may well stay the same for this game. The only potential decision area could be Norman Bassette up top, who, despite scoring at the weekend, fluffed some big chances that could have changed the game. The sense at the moment is that Lampard prefers Bassette over Simms, but that could soon change if the Belgian fails to add a killer instinct to his game.

Last Time We Met

Coventry City made a midweek trip to a misty Home Park back in February as they looked to put pressure on the play-off places against an out-of-form opponent. After Matt Godden missed some great chances at 0-0 in the opening hour, Plymouth Argyle took the lead when Morgan Whittaker was afforded too much room in the penalty area to sweep an effort past Brad Collins.

The Sky Blues were level not too long after, when Victor Torp, enjoying a great run of form after first signing for the club, played a wonderful pass in behind the opposing defence to send Ellis Simms through on goal for a finish that kick-started the striker’s own best run of form with the club. However, Argyle were quickly back ahead, when Mickel Miller somehow beat Collins with a cross/shot from an awkward angle.

Set to leave Devon with zero points, Victor Torp again stepped up for Coventry City, with an excellent set-piece delivery in the final knockings of injury time, that Liam Kitching brushed into the opposing net.

The Opposition

The Manager – Wayne Rooney

Off the back of a disastrous spell at Birmingham City last season, Wayne Rooney looks to be in last-chance saloon territory at Plymouth Argyle in terms of his managerial career. On the face of it, to be bottom of the division and with a horrendous away record, Rooney looks to be on the verge of his final orders in said saloon, however, it is hard to argue that he is doing any worse with an Argyle squad that was one of the most cheaply assembled in the Championship.

Rooney has wanted to play attacking football with Plymouth Argyle as the team’s best means of staying up. That has proved a productive formula at Home Park, with the team ranking mid-table in terms of home form, but disastrous away from home, where they have conceded 14 goals in their last three games. Where Wayne Rooney hasn’t helped himself is his tendency to heavily criticise the players for poor performances and to tinker with tactics and team selections, which can see one bad result turn spiral into several.

Who To Look Out For?

Wayne Rooney’s desire to play attacking football with this Plymouth Argyle side makes sense given that this squad is stronger up top than at the back. However, the manager has been hampered recently, with injuries to star wide players, Morgan Whittaker and Ibrahim Cissoko, with pacey striker, Michael Obafemi, and poacher, Ryan Hardie, recent additions to that injury list.

Argyle still have attacking players who can produce telling contributions, with forward, Mustapha Bundu, having impressed recently with goal contributions from out wide, and the experienced Championship goal-getter, Andre Gray, proving he still has something to offer at this level after joining on a short-term contract. The team could do with attacking midfielders, Rami Al Hajj and Callum Wright, contributing to the goals column given their absentee list, while Bali Mumba from full-back is a very entertaining, pacey, skilful player who can turn defences around.

In central midfield, the academy product, Adam Randell, and Leeds United loanee, Darko Gyabi, are very capable in possession and could help Plymouth Argyle surprise the Sky Blues with extended spells on the ball. The vastly-experienced Adam Forshaw can also come in to steady things in the centre of the park, when needed.

At the back, Kornell Szucs and Lewis Gibson have proved to be Argyle’s best defensive pairing, while Daniel Grimshaw in goal can make some big saves to keep the team in games.

Where The Game Will Be Won or Lost

Coventry City could not have picked a better opponent to help rebuild their confidence than playing Plymouth Argyle at home. Not only are they such poor travellers but their horrendous injury list further limits the threat they will pose. However, it is important to note that Argyle look to have improved lately, after appointing Mike Phelan as assistant manager, and caused Sheffield United problems in their last away game.

Despite their issues on the road, Plymouth Argyle are likely to want to be positive in this game, looking to have long spells of possession and take the game to Coventry City. The Sky Blues will need to be prepared to be patient for spells when Argyle look to pass it around, which could present space to get in behind the opposition on the counter-attack. This looked to be the approach last time out at Portsmouth, where the team played a lot of balls in behind for Norman Bassette to chase after.

The decision at centre-forward may well be most telling about Coventry City’s approach in this game. If Bassette starts, the team may look to be more direct in order to get the Belgian in behind the opposing defence. If it’s Simms, the cross-heavy approach that has been seen for much of Frank Lampard’s spell in charge is likely to be the plan. Simms, if he starts, may well be instructed to compete aerially with Kornell Szucs, who is Argyle’s weakest defender in the air.