Sideways Sammy

After ending last season in horrendous form, Liam Kitching has had to bide his time to earn a regular starting place in Coventry City’s defence again. Rarely used over the first half of the campaign, Kitching has returned to the side looking a more assured presence than he had been but still someone prone to the kind of rushes to the head that saw him lose all of his confidence less than a year ago. Kitching is someone who has shown at times that he can provide a nice balance between mobility and assertiveness when on top form, but that top form is rare and he can bottom out towards a very low level of performance.

That Liam Kitching has returned to the starting line-up over the second half of this season probably says more about Luis Binks’ form than it does about Kitching himself having made the left-sided centre-back spot his own. With more experience and physicality in his favour, Liam Kitching has looked the steadier presence in that position but he is still someone prone to making poor decisions, particularly when it comes to picking when to commit to challenges with the rest of the defence stretched. Probably the better out of Bobby Thomas and himself on the ball, Kitching can occasionally pick good passes or carry the ball into midfield effectively but it is another area of his game where he is prone to losing concentration and making mistakes.

The truth is that Liam Kitching has been a key element of a defence that, over the last two seasons, has leaked goals and lacked the fortitude to allow the team to hold onto results in the bigger games. Like his other defensive colleagues, it’s not that Kitching is an outright terrible defender but is someone who lacks the right kind of organisation and presence around him in order to excel. While it seems unlikely he’ll be moved on any time soon, Liam Kitching is someone the club will surely be looking to improve upon heading into the summer transfer window.