Football League World
·13 October 2024
Football League World
·13 October 2024
FLW has a look at what could be a dream January 2025 transfer window for Coventry City.
Coventry City have endured a miserable start to the Championship season, with Mark Robins’ men languishing near the relegation zone.
After their remarkable FA Cup run last season, combined with the Sky Blues reaching the play-off final the campaign prior, many expected Coventry to be in the mix to go up come May.
And, whilst that is still a possibility, they have a lot of work to do, as they trail the play-off places by eight points.
So, the challenge for Robins’ men is to show some consistency over a lengthy period, and the January window is already shaping up to be key for the club.
On paper, the Coventry squad is very good, as they were very active in the summer, with the recruitment team appearing to make some shrewd additions.
Of course, patience is required with those players, but recent performances have shown that even though the team may have strength in depth, they’re also lacking in key areas.
You can be sure that Robins knows that already, and he will be plotting changes in the New Year.
Here we look at TWO scenarios that could play out to make it a dream first window in 2025 for Coventry…
As mentioned, the Coventry squad looks good, so there are no real glaring issues that simply have to be addressed.
But, the results and performances prove that there are issues within the squad, and one problem could be the lack of experience in the group.
Simon Moore, Liam Kelly and Matty Godden weren’t key figures in the XI last season, but they were experienced players in the dressing room, and they would’ve no doubt helped to drive standards on a day-to-day basis.
Now, the bulk of the squad are under 30, and whilst that’s a positive in one sense, it does feel as though Coventry are missing some leadership to get through this tough period.
Even if the new signing isn’t a starter, having someone who has been there and done it can help in the dressing room as Coventry look to navigate the high-pressure games that could come up later in the season.
A worry for Coventry in the summer was whether they would be able to retain the influential Ben Sheaf.
The midfielder was outstanding last season, so it was inevitable that there would be Premier League interest in the classy 26-year-old, and that proved to be the case, with Fulham and Ipswich Town among Sheaf’s admirers.
The current campaign hasn’t really got going for the former Arsenal youngster, as injuries have restricted his game time. However, you would expect him to show his class once he gets up to speed.
If Coventry remain in a poor position, then top-flight clubs will be monitoring his situation, and it could leave them vulnerable to losing their star man.
Furthermore, Sheaf may be open to testing himself at a higher level, which again could change the dynamics.