Coventry City

Rob Gurney
BBC CWR sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Am I gutted? Of course. Am I surprised? Not in the least. Football doesn't respect a manager's history or reputation, but you could argue Mark Robins was a special case.

Yes, he left once, under a cloud. But, since his return in March 2017, he's pulled the club back from the brink.

Winning the EFL Trophy within weeks of his return, instantly endeared him to Sky Blues fans again.

An immediate return from League Two, after another memorable Wembley trip, cemented that relationship still further.

Then we saw the League One title secured during Covid, were a missed penalty kick away from the Premier League, and most gut-wrenchingly of all, a toenail killed the greatest FA Cup comeback ever.

Championship form tailed off, completely understandably, after the physical and mental exertions of that semi-final.

Then a very aggressive summer marketing campaign 'Think Big, Aim High' fuelled expectations of a promotion push, but a slow start, for the third season running, sealed Robins' fate.

My perception is the back-to-back wins over Luton and Middlesbrough came as a huge inconvenience to owner/chairman Doug King; particularly the supporters' response to Robins personally, in the face of going 2-0 down in the first of those.

His, and his players', in-game management, has been scrutinised in recent weeks, although he'd appeared to have bought himself a little more time.

Now King has made the decision to dispense with the man many fans regard as the modern-day Jimmy Hill, his next one could define the City's destiny for years to come.

Image source, Rex Features

Former Coventry City goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic says the sacking of manager Mark Robins is a "poor decision".

Ogrizovic, 67, made more than 500 appearances for the Sky Blues and now works as a pundit for BBC CWR.

"Very few things in football shock me but this is a poor decision," said Ogrizovic.

"It's not a knee-jerk decision because I think this is planned and (owner) Doug King has got a plan in the back of his mind, although what that is I don't know."

Coventry had won their previous two Championship matches before Wednesday's 2-1 home defeat by Derby, which proved to be Robins' last game in charge.

"Mark Robins had more to give, look at the club since the day he came in and it's been year-on-year success and progression," added Ogrizovic.

"The sun has been shining on Coventry and they got back into the Championship and along the way there were some great memories for people.

"The stadium is full now and it wasn't when Mark Robins first came to the club."

Image source, Rex Features

Mark Robins "outperformed budget and expectations" throughout his time as Coventry City boss, says former midfielder David Prutton.

Robins was sacked by the Sky Blues on Thursday after more than seven-and-a-half years in charge during this second spell at the club.

Prutton, 43, had a brief spell on loan with Coventry City in 2014 and now works as a pundit for Sky Sports.

"When I played for Coventry they were dark days so what Mark Robins gave back to that football club was just glorious light and illumination," Prutton told BBC CWR.

"He's got the same demeanour win, lose or draw which enables a team to climb the mountains they did."

Robins leaves Coventry with a near 41% win ratio and two victories from their past three games.

"The fact he outperformed budget and expectations year on year is another feather in his cap," added Prutton.

"He had a player under his tutelage in Viktor Gyokeres who scored a hat-trick against Manchester City the other night. He bought him for about £1m and sold him for £24m so he's ticked so many boxes, on the pitch for the fans to watch, enjoy and love and off the pitch for the bean counters who want to make the football club a viable financial asset.

"We can all get into metrics and statistics but if anyone classes Mark Robins' tenure as a failure I would say that suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of what football means to people who love the game and are passionate about their club."

Image source, Rex Features

The Championship's longest-serving manager was sacked this morning after more than seven-and-a-half years in charge during which Mark Robins led Coventry from League Two to the Championship, and within a penalty shootout of the Premier League and an FA Cup final.

Sky Blues fans have been reacting the news and you can share your thoughts as well.

Here are just some of the messages from Coventry supporters:

Troyston - This is absolutely horrendous. Robins deserves a statue for what he has done for this club. For about 15 years, this club slowly descended down the leagues all the way to League Two. He has transformed this club despite all the off-field nonsense. I'm sickened. I can't believe my club has shown such disrespect to him. To say I'm in shock is understatement of the century.

Gafferuk - From no ground, didn't own a player in the team at one point, nearly out of existence, a penalty away from the Premier League and a dodgy decision against Man Utd for a place in the FA Cup final to sacking him is a ridiculous decision. Coventry City FC what have you done?

Chris - Absolutely devastated. What a man he has been for the football club. It just doesn’t make sense. Mark thank you for everything you have done, us fans hold you in higher regard than our apparent owner. Gutted.

Mike - Mark ‘The Phoenix’ Robins brought us back from the ashes and embodied everything our club is about. He deserved so much better than this for his loyalty and success over the last 7 years. A truly awful decision. He had earned the right to leave on his own terms, whenever he wanted.

JT13 - As a rival fan of a Championship team I was concerned Coventry would be surging up the table again and that a play-off place would be taken up by them once again but now much happier after this announcement. Says it all really!

Image source, Getty Images

Coventry City defender, Luis Binks says a poor start against Derby cost them a chance of taking anything from the game.

The visitors took the lead inside the first quarter of an hour before adding a second goal in the final 20 minutes and despite Tatsuihiro's Sakamoto's first goal of the season, the Sky Blues suffered their first defeat in four Championship games.

"We didn't start well enough, we gave Derby a gift and found it tough to break them down," Binks told BBC CWR.

"We can't give up two goals and put ourselves on the back foot like that.

"Once they got the goal they made it difficult for us and we've got to look at ourselves why it didn't work."

Coventry face a tough run of games, starting at Sunderland on Saturday before facing Sheffield United and Burnley after the international break.

"We've got to take responsibility to bounce back on Saturday because we don't want two defeats in a row after two good games," added Binks.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

If any team hopes to bolster their attack in the January or summer transfer window then Sporting Lisbon's number nine Viktor Gyokeres has to be in the conversation.

Following Tuesday's hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, Gyokeres is the joint leading scorer in this season's most elite European competition with Harry Kane and has scored 66 goals in 67 matches for the reigning Primeira Liga champions.

The sceptics, who have argued the standard of football in Portugal is not that of Premier League, are likely to have been silenced by the striker's performance against the often dubbed 'best team in the world.'

So if the Sweden international is to be snapped up by an English club, where could he go?

Well, Gyokeres is not going to be cheap so it will have to be a club with long-term ambition and deep pockets. The 26-year-old is believed to have a release clause of 100m euros (£83m) despite only signing from Coventry City in 2023 for a fee close to £20m in 2023.

Premier League clubs were linked to Gyokeres while he was at the Championship club but it was Sporting who seized the opportunity to sign him.

And now Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are the English clubs that are linked with his name in the daily gossip pages.

The most obvious choice would be to follow head coach Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford. However, with the club already owning Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Antony it is unlikely they would sign Gyokeres without selling at least one.

Plus, it was Dan Ashworth - the current sporting director of United - that sold Gyokeres to Coventry for just £1m in 2021 from former club Brighton.

United's neighbours Manchester City could view Gyokeres as a long-term replacement for Erling Haaland should he leave the Etihad, and Sporting's director Hugo Viana may want to re-sign his Sporting star when he succeeds the outgoing Txiki Begiristain.

Liverpool could also be in the market if Mohamed Salah does not sign a new contract and departs Anfield after eight years next summer.

Chelsea, who have three strikers, have proven they like to spend big in recent transfer windows but it is their rivals in North London that appear to be the most obvious fit.

Fans and pundits have long said that Arsenal need a number nine.

Mikel Arteta's side would be formidable with a striker like Gyokeres and would be strong contenders in the league and Europe if he could replicate his form there.

"I could see that," columnist Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport. "From the style of play that I have seen from him and the intelligence he has, he is a handful.

"If he comes to England then it is important to note that he is simply coming back because he has already got experience playing here and he knows the physical level required. He comes across as very coachable so in an Arsenal system it could really work for him and them.

"That is on the assumption that he is the sort of player that the Gunners are looking for."

In the meantime Gyokeres will no doubt continue to add to his price tag by doing what he does best - scoring.

Image source, BBC Sport

Coventry City won consecutive games for the first time this season with a 3-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Saturday and are unbeaten in three (W2 D1) following a run of just one win in nine before that.

Derby County have won just one of their last eight games (D3 L4) and are without a victory in four following a 2-1 defeat at Stoke last time out. The Rams have also failed to win away from home so far this season.

• Three of the last four league meetings between Coventry and Derby have ended as draws, with the Sky Blues winning the other 1-0.

• Derby County have lost nine of their last 13 away league meetings against Coventry (W2 D2).

• None of Coventry's last 14 home league games have ended in a draw (W6 L8), and they could win successive such games for the first time since December 2023.

• Each of Derby's last four midweek league matches have been away from home, with three of the four ending in a draw (L1).

• Derby's Jerry Yates has netted three goals in his last four league appearances against Coventry, though failed to score in his last away league game against the Sky Blues while at Swansea in December 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

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