Sideways Sammy

A last gasp win against Portsmouth last midweek and a relatively friendly set of results at the weekend has set Coventry City up for a massive week where they can seize control of their end of season destiny. Win the next two and the Sky Blues will be in command of the play-off race, any slip-ups and it almost guarantees that the final games of the season will be nervy affairs.

The first step is to get maximum points from a Hull City side that are fighting for their lives and know that a win here, in front of their home crowd, would go a long way towards securing their Championship status. Coventry City have struggled in these kind of hostile atmospheres under Frank Lampard, which is where the nerves could from in a game the Sky Blues would otherwise be expected to beat. The challenge is to manage the occasion and let the team’s quality shine through.

Expected Line-Up

The two big team selection concerns heading into this game are in midfield and attack. An injury to Victor Torp leaves Frank Lampard short of midfield options at a crucial time of the campaign, while another quiet showing from Haji Wright in the centre-forward position last time out raises the question as to whether he is best used in that position.

In midfield, Ben Sheaf lasting nearly a full game in midweek is a huge boost despite the loss of Victor Torp. In what could be a tough away game at a team looking to intimidate Coventry City with a high-intensity approach, Sheaf’s extra physicality could prove valuable, especially in light of Matt Grimes ending the team’s last road trip with zero tackles and zero interceptions.

Up front, any temptation to move Haji Wright around might be mitigated by the likelihood that Hull City will look to play on the front foot and leave the kind of space on the counter that Wright could thrive in. While moving Wright to the left could be an easier decision given that Ephron Mason-Clark has lacked an end product recently, the latter’s ability to get in behind his opposing full-back shouldn’t be underestimated in what could be a game where there’ll be opportunities to break.

Elsewhere, the other big call is probably between Jake Bidwell and Jay Dasilva at left-back. Bidwell has been favoured for away games recently and provides greater physicality against a Hull City side that will look to press and be direct in getting the ball forward, however, Dasilva has been in significantly better form than Bidwell and this could be a chance to see whether he can translate that into a testing road trip.

Last Time We Met

It was the first and only time under Frank Lampard that Coventry City have won a game after falling behind in what was a crucial fixture in December in pulling the team away from relegation danger. The Sky Blues were well on top at the CBS Arena, dominating possession and creating some decent openings but behind in relatively unfortunate circumstances as a loose ball in the box fell to Hull’s Joao Pedro Galvao, who had a tap-in from pretty much the away side’s first attacking foray.

Impressively, Coventry City kept going despite the set-back and were level early in the second-half when a lovely ball around the corner from Victor Torp bounced in off Ephron Mason-Clark’s face. With Brad Collins making some decent saves to keep the game level, the Sky Blues should have taken the lead through Victor Torp when Norman Bassette won a penalty. However, the Dane saw a tame effort saved by the opposing goalkeeper. Not to worry, Mason-Clark produced an excellent run and cross that set up an easy header for Jack Rudoni to win the game with.

The Opposition

The Manager – Ruben Selles

Taking over a team in complete disarray after a poor start to the season, Ruben Selles has made sense of a massive squad and steered them outside the relegation zone. Results have been inconsistent but performances have been less so as Hull City have looked to enact the high-intensity pressing style of play that Selles prefers. At their best, they can be a nightmare to play against, at their worst, they can be toothless and let results they should get slip away from them.

That Ruben Selles formula at Hull City has tended to work better on the road than at home. They are the seventh-best away side in the division since he took over – which began with at defeat at the CBS Arena back in December – but are the third-worst home side, with just three wins out of nine home games since he took over. Games under Selles tend to be tight affairs, with Hull strong at the back under his charge but they are profligate at the other end.

Who To Look Out For?

The defence is the strongest area of this Hull City side, they have the fourth-best defensive record in the division since Ruben Selles took charge. Alfie Jones and Charlie Hughes as a central defensive pairing provide a nice balance between being physically imposing while offering quality and composure on the ball. With a centre-back, in Sean McLoughlin, operating at left-back, Hull are a team that prioritise being solid and unfussy in defence in the hope that they can nick something at the other end.

Further forward, it is changeable feast for a club that has signed 25 players since the start of the season. Of that hoard of new signings, the most valuable has proved to be the somewhat enigmatic centre-forward, Joao Pedro Galvao, who can be inconsistent but is the closest thing the team has to a reliable goalscorer. In addition, Leeds United loanee, Joe Gelhardt has proved useful for his industry out wide as he looks to rebuild his confidence after showing some promise earlier in his career. In addition, Matt Crooks provides huge physical presence just behind the striker position, rotating places with Kasey Palmer to manage the fixture schedule.

Hull City look to be energetic deeper in midfield, with Steven Alzate, Regan Slater and Gustavo Puerta sharing responsibilities. The aim of this Hull side is to be efficient with the ball and look to put pressure on the opposition by keeping them penned back with their pressing.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

The key challenge here looks to be in how Coventry City settle and look to impose their game against a Hull City side that are very energetic and physical who know that a winning just this one game might be enough on its own to keep them safe. The Sky Blues have started games slowly recently and that threatens to put them in a losing position from which they struggle to recover from. Trying to limit opportunities for Hull to catch them out playing from the back early on could be useful here, as much as Frank Lampard will want Coventry to try and dominate possession.

The key areas Hull City are likely to target are the left side of Coventry’s defence and the space behind and around Matt Grimes. This is going to test the Sky Blues concentration without the ball, which can often be lacking, as well as their ability to compete in physical battles. Joe Gelhardt down the right of Hull’s attack is likely to be a key outlet for them, as well as Matt Crooks’ physical presence in the attacking midfield zone.

At the other end, Haji Wright’s ability to get chances is going to be a key concern for Coventry City. Hull City will look to play a high line, which could present the American with chances on the break but it will test his ability to time his runs to stay onside. If he ends up floating to the left, it is a chance to run at Sean McLoughlin, who is a centre-back playing out of position but could expose Wright’s discomfort in physical battles, the space for him may be on the other flank against the more attack-minded, Lewie Coyle, with Ephron Mason-Clark also targeting that area. Both goals Coventry scored against Hull last time out came from attacking the space behind Coyle.

In bad news for Coventry City, Hull City are one of the better teams in the division at defending set-pieces. That could make it even more difficult for the Sky Blues to create chances, especially if they find themselves going behind in this game.