Sideways Sammy

Coventry City are now in an era where academy players have next to no hope of making the first-team, having once filled out much of the starting XI, which makes Josh Eccles an especially impressive exception to the rule as he continues to demonstrate his worth in a Sky Blue shirt. The appointment of Frank Lampard last year threated to challenge Eccles’ place in the side, but the midfielder has responded to that impressively over the past year to make himself a valuable member of the squad capable of making key contributions when called upon. Even if Eccles isn’t quite in Coventry’s strongest starting XI, he is an important member of the squad as they look to push for promotion from the Championship.

The challenge laid out to Josh Eccles following Frank Lampard’s appointment as manager was to play in a more attack-minded role than he had been in previous eras. Whereas Eccles’ value before was in his ability to plug various tactical holes in the team – from right wing-back to defensive midfield and even in an advanced wide role – greater emphasis has been placed on what he can do with the ball in the opposing half. Eccles now plays with an urgency and energy that can be really effective in short, sharp bursts in games, however that has come at the cost of some his tactical discipline which means that he can leave the midfield wide open in search of attacking opportunities.

To force his way into the starting line-up, Josh Eccles needs to find that balance between those positive attacking contributions and offering a presence off-the-ball. While he has become a more exciting player to watch than ever, Eccles is starting to make himself too big a risk to start games due to how he has abandoned the defensive side of his responsibilities. It is certainly in Josh Eccles’ locker to sharpen up off-the-ball but he must find a way to do so without compromising the leaps he’s made recently at the other end.