Sideways Sammy

A late defeat at Luton Town may have been agonising to experience but results elsewhere mean that a top six finish remains very much in Coventry City’s hands. The task in front of the Sky Blues is quite simple, beat Middlesbrough and make the play-offs, lose and drop out of it. Things get more complicated with a draw, so let’s focus on winning this one.

If there is a lesson to be learned from this play-off race, it’s that a team doesn’t have to be perfect all the time in order to achieve success at the end of the season. Yes, it’s frustrating knowing that just one win from away trips to relegation-threatened teams over the last two games would have all but sealed a top six place, but if Coventry City can perform in this one – and, hopefully, in the three after that – that’s what will define the season. This game will be a microcosm of that mindset, the Sky Blues don’t have to play their best football of the season here, they just have to win.

Expected Line-Up

There look to be plenty of moving parts that will impact what team Frank Lampard is able to name for this game. Jay Dasilva picking up a suspension and Joel Latibeaudiere taking a knock against Luton Town have come at a time where Coventry City are desperately short of defenders, if Milan van Ewijk and Bobby Thomas remain out for this game, the manager may have to get experimental to put out a competitive team.

There appears to be hope that Van Ewijk and Thomas may be available, with Joel Latibeaudiere and Luis Binks set to drop out of the starting XI if that is the case. If both are absent, Joel Latibeaudiere’s fitness will be the key concern, despite him playing out the rest of the Luton Town game after looking to have taken a nasty blow early on, that is because it leaves Jack Burroughs – who has only played once, as a substitute, in the FA Cup for Coventry this season – and Josh Eccles – who has never played right-back in a back four at senior level – as the team’s only options on the right of the defence.

All eyes will be on the selection in goal after another high-profile Brad Collins error, however, it really seems unlikely that Frank Lampard will make a change for the final game of the season. The sooner you can make peace with Collins starting, the more relaxed of a morning you will have.

Elsewhere, Ephron Mason-Clark is the other potential injury returnee. The winger coming back could prove invaluable in adding a valuable option to an attack that has lost its mojo recently. It may be a stretch to expect Mason-Clark to be able to start this game, but being able to introduce him from the bench could be handy card for Frank Lampard to have up his sleeve later on.

Last Time We Met

In what was Mark Robins’ last win as Coventry City manager, the Sky Blues romped to victory at the Riverside Stadium in what felt a sign that the they were ready to storm up the league table. Coventry may have been aided by an early red card to Boro’s Hayden Hackney, but they already looked well on top at that point – seeing n early Haji Wright goal disallowed – and, if anything, were second-best after the red until Bobby Thomas nodded in a Josh Eccles cross just before half-time.

It stayed 1-0 until the closing stages of the game, when Coventry City found space on the counter against a tired Middlesbrough defence. Haji Wright turned in a Tatsuhiro Sakamoto cross with 13 minutes left on the clock, before the American sent Josh Eccles clean through to finish for a third a few minutes later. To have suggested Mark Robins was one game away from the sack then would have seemed ludicrous.

The Opposition

The Manager – Michael Carrick

Having largely impressed over the two-and-a-half seasons he’s had in his first managerial role, Michael Carrick has found himself on the back foot over the second half of this campaign. Having looked in a good position to finish in the top six in January, Middlesbrough have had a record since the 3rd January that would place them 14th in the table. A combination of a few unhelpful injuries, a scattergun January transfer window and the sense that Carrick is tactically inflexible has created a sense of apathy among the fans, despite still being in with a shot of making the play-offs.

Michael Carrick has largely stuck with a possession-heavy, attacking approach that can be overwhelming at its best but has too often left the backdoor wide open while the team has been short of inspiration in the final third. The manager hasn’t been helped by a slew of defensive injuries that, at one point recently, has seen the team play a back-line with only one recognised defender, but the overriding sense among Middlesbrough fans is that Carrick hasn’t been flexible enough to adapt to difficult circumstances such as injuries or opponents figuring out how to counter the team’s primary approach.

Who To Look Out For?

If there is an area where Middlesbrough are strong, it’s in attack, where they are the 4th-top scorers in the league. While their scoring rate has dropped off over the second half of the campaign, in Tommy Conway and Finn Azaz, they have two players in double-figures for the season, on top of Emmanuel Latte Lath, who left in January after scoring 11 goals.

Conway and Azaz are clearly the two key danger-men for Boro. Tommy Conway is an energetic centre-forward who can press well on top of being a good finisher. Finn Azaz, meanwhile, can float in and out of games in a wide or number ten position, but has excellent technique when it comes to those big moments, whether that’s scoring or creating chances.

On top of that deadly duo, Kelechi Iheanacho has made a handful of useful contributions since arriving on loan in January in what has largely been an underwhelming spell. Morgan Whittaker may also have underperformed since signing in the winter, but he showed last season at Plymouth Argyle that he is someone whose long-range shooting means he can conjure something out of nothing. Further attacking options include the physical forward, Marcus Forss, the enigmatic Delano Burgzorg, as well as, potentially, the versatile Australian, Riley McGree, if he is fit enough to be involved.

In midfield, Middlesbrough have looked to have the ball-playing pairing of Aidan Morris and Hayden Hackney as their starting duo. Hackney is someone who likes to press forward and keep the play flowing through quick, short passes, while the American, Morris, sits deeper and offers a nice balance between ball-winning and keeping play moving. Morris’ fitness has tended to be the issue preventing the duo playing together more.

At the back, Middlesbrough have been beset by injuries and a lack of form in goal throughout the campaign. At one point, that has led to the unorthodox pairing of the veteran midfielder, Jonny Howson, and attacking left-back, Neto Borges, at centre-back, while the team has used four different goalkeepers this season. The recent return to fitness of Dael Fry has eased some of those issues but they may still end up playing Howson at centre-back here.

At left-back, Aston Villa loanee and England under-21 international, Samuel Iling Junior has been something of a revelation after being moved into that position despite being a more attack-minded player naturally. That has meant the key January addition of Ryan Giles – a player Michael Carrick had sought after for a season-and-a-half – has only started three times.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

These are two pretty similar teams, both want to play possession-based football, both are struggling a little for mojo in the final third currently, both are carrying defensive injuries and look weak at the back. This game looks to be a test of who holds their nerve the best, with Coventry City’s home advantage what, on paper, looks to tip it in their favour.

The Sky Blues will have to be prepared to take on a team that knows only a win is good enough for them. They should expect Middlesbrough to come onto them strong and try and force errors via Tommy Conway’s pressing. That should be an area where having Matt Grimes will help, but this defence and goalkeeper have shown they are more than capable of making mistakes even with someone alongside them that should be able to dig them out.

At the other end, the opportunity here looks to be to catch Middlesbrough on the counter-attack due to them having a back-line that consists of at least two midfielders. Setting Haji Wright against Jonny Howson looks a key area for Coventry City to target, while Samuel Iling Junior’s attacking forays from left-back should provide space for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto to take advantage of.

For Coventry City, there is a delicate balancing act to be played between trying to attack and take advantage of Middlesbrough’s fragility while knowing that a draw still gives the Sky Blues a chance of making the top six. Results elsewhere are clearly going to be a factor in how Coventry approaches this game late on – especially with Boro knowing they have to go for it – making it important not to get too exorcised if the team plays within itself here. Not losing is the first priority, which should favour claiming something, if needed, later on.