Football League World
·23 October 2024
Football League World
·23 October 2024
Ben Sheaf sent a message to Coventry City fans following their draw at QPR on Tuesday night.
Coventry City midfielder Ben Sheaf has thanked the fans for their support, and urged them to stand by the team despite their poor start to the season.
Mark Robins’ side pushed for the play-offs last season, and they were an offside goal away from reaching the FA Cup final, so there was a lot of optimism about what this campaign could hold, with promotion the aim.
However, the Sky Blues have won just two of their 11 games so far this season, and a 1-1 draw at QPR last night meant the team dropped into the relegation zone.
A 1-0 loss at Preston on Saturday saw Robins in conversation with an angry away end, so there is frustration among the supporters right now, which is understandable given their form.
And, whilst the draw at QPR brought some encouragement, it was another game without a win, and it came against the side sitting bottom of the league.
So, it increases the pressure on the manager, but taking to his Instagram story, Sheaf urged those on the terraces to ‘stick with us’ as he also thanked those who made the trip to the capital last night.
As mentioned, this has been a terrible start to the season for Coventry, and, even at this early stage, a play-off push is looking unlikely as they are nine points away from sixth place.
Of course, that gap can be bridged, but that looks a long way off right now, and the only concern is getting some wins on the board to climb away from the relegation zone.
On paper, this is a very talented Coventry squad that has a good mix of experience and quality, and there is a good balance to the group.
So, it’s ultimately on Robins, but the boss has a lot of credit in the bank when you consider the remarkable job he has done with the Midlands outfit over the years.
It’s a testing period for the club, and, as Sheaf says, it’s about sticking together, and it’s on the players to get the club out of this mess, as the only answer is winning games.
They do have the ability to get results, and they need to come quickly.
As a senior player, Sheaf is among those that needs to step up, and there’s no doubt that his injury issues earlier in the season had contributed to Coventry’s start.
But, he has now had a run of games, and he is among those that must raise their levels, as there are so many individuals that are capable of more right now.
Overall, whilst Coventry know they need to improve, there does need to be a sense of perspective. This is the first bump in the road in a long time under Robins, and he has shown that he is a brilliant manager for the club.
So, talk of him losing his job seems unfair, and it’s worth remembering that Coventry had a poor start to last season, and it turned out to be a memorable campaign.
Now, the only focus is on trying to get a crucial win, which could be what’s needed to get the season going.