Sideways Sammy

Brought in to challenge Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching at centre-back, it hasn’t been an easy task for Luke Woolfenden to break into the side with the team in great form but it’s hard to argue he’s made much of a case for himself with the opportunities he’s been handed. Woolfenden has started in two of the four league games the team, and has only been involved in the team keeping one clean sheet in a game he has started in. While the circumstance of being a back-up player means Woolfenden only starts games when changes have to be made, thus upsetting the team’s rhythm, he has done very little to force his way into the team.

Luke Woolfenden’s biggest issue preventing him getting into the Coventry City starting line-up is that he’s incredibly slow for a team that plays with a high line. Balls played over the top of his head have tended to lead to chances for the opposition, made worse by Woolfenden being tentative to close defenders down – likely out of fear of being beaten for pace again. What is almost even worse than that is that Woolfenden doesn’t seem to be making up for it by adding a physical or vocal presence to the defence, and while he seems himself as a ball-playing centre-back, he has not looked any better than Bobby Thomas or Liam Kitching in that regard.

Nonetheless, the difficulty in assessing Luke Woolfenden thus far is that he has only been called upon when the team has been broken up by injuries and suspensions. The defender hasn’t had the chance to settle into the team and build relationships with other players, he’s been forced to come in cold and perform in a style that is possibly not suited to his qualities. Unless Woolfenden starts to make impression in the next few chances that he is given, it won’t be long before the club starts to look at moving him on. Thus far, this has been a transfer that has not worked out in the slightest.