Sideways Sammy

It had been hoped that the signing of Frank Onyeka would change the trajectory of Coventry City’s season but few could have expected the transformational impact he has made thus far. Onyeka’s first appearance for the Sky Blues came against Middlesbrough, on the 16th February, with the team having just dropped out of the top two. Since then, Coventry have roared back to top of the league, dropped points on just two occassions and are on the verge of promotion. Onyeka’s impact has been immediate and undeniable, even when it has looked like he hasn’t been fully fit or quite been the defensive destroyer he was expected to, he has lifted the team and allowed other players to rediscover lost belief in their own abilities.

The man who has dubbed himself ‘Frank the Tank’ has created the expectation that he is a ball-winner extraordinaire but that has arguably been one of the weakest areas of his game thus far in a Coventry City shirt. While there have been some notable moments of Frank Onyeka smashing through opposing players to win the team the ball, there have been multiple occasions where teams have been able to either bypass him or beat him in 50-50 duels. That’s possibly down to Onyeka not being fully fit in his time at Coventry thus far – often going down with slight knocks or failing to last 90 minutes – or that he has much more to his game than tackling. Some of Onyeka’s best moments at the club have involved these lung-busting runs with the ball from midfield to open the game up, or putting crosses into the penalty area. Onyeka’s impact has been less about being someone who makes tackles and more in adding energy, intent and physicality in the centre of the pitch.

With Frank Onyeka in the team, Coventry City have become a little more imposing and that has allowed a number of players to regain confidence – Matt Grimes, most notably. That Onyeka probably hasn’t been 100% fit during his first few months at the club raises the hope that his best will come with a summer to rest and recuperate. Nonetheless, Frank Onyeka will be facing a step up to a level where his physical capacity will be less remarkable and he will have to focus on his positional play, which is probably his weakest area, but that will be part of a wider change of mentality for the team at Premier League level. For now, Onyeka can be celebrated as the signing that all but won promotion for the club.