The Robins Revolution: One Year On

On the 6th of March 2017, Mark Robins returned to the Ricoh Arena to take the managerial reigns for a second time, with some sceptical about the appointment. However, a year further down the line, he is still here and the Sky Blues are pushing for promotion from Sky Bet League Two.

You have to wonder what may have been had he decided to stick around during his first spell, but the lure of a then Championship club in Huddersfield Town proved too strong. During the 2012/13 campaign, our first in League One, Robins transformed us from relegation fodder to a team on the verge of the play-offs before heading off to West Yorkshire.

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Furthermore, we also had the luxury of trips to Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup and the FA Cup respectively, so he undoubtedly displayed the attributes of a good manager. Some supporters will never forgive him for jumping ship when he did, but I am certainly glad to have him back in the dugout at this club. He is certainly an upgrade on Russell Slade – the less said about him, the better.

When Robins took over last season we were virtually dead and buried, with our status as a third tier club running on life support. Of course, our inevitable relegation happened and the built-up frustration poured out when the realisation sank in, but at least the performances under Robins offered us a little flicker of hope. I began to believe once more.

Now, a year later, I still think he is the right man to lead us forward. Every time I hear him speak, he exhibits a passion to get this club back out of the mess that it is in and that probably stems from an inner regret of his decision to leave in the first place. It seems as if he believes he needs to prove himself to us, and I am happy for him to have the chance to do that.

With fairly limited resources at his disposal, attracting the likes of Tony Andreu and Marc McNulty to sign for the club is testament to him. There are areas where we could have done with some added strength in depth, but a lot of sides at this level do not have the ability to construct a perfectly balanced squad. Our injury record has hampered us too, but we are still in with a fighting chance.

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Managers often get berated for tactical decisions and (sometimes lack of) substitutions, but I trust him. While many football supporters attempt to find their inner Pep Guardiola when they step inside a football stadium, the complexities of the job never fully get acknowledged. It is obviously a results business and you live or die by the amount of points you pick up on the pitch, but Robins has revamped City away from it too.

Simple things the scouting system were somewhat neglected before his arrival, but he understands how imperative those elements are if you want to achieve any form of success. Our academy is the lifeblood of the club and some fantastic players have rolled off the production line, so long may that continue. It is great to see the manager have faith in players such as Jordan Shipley and Tom Bayliss; young, hungry lads who boast plenty of talent to go with it.

Following our run of three consecutive league defeats in February, I was astounded that a minority of supporters were calling for Robins to be sacked. Many managers have represented us over recent years and failed, so this cutthroat mentality of chopping and changing is unlikely to reap rewards. I still believe that, with time, our current boss can help reverse the decline of the last two decades.

Like everyone, I have everything crossed that we can achieve promotion this season. We are now into the final straight and it is up to the players to maintain the pressure on the frontrunners. Fixtures against the teams around us could define our season, but as Robins has already reiterated, every one of them is a cup final now, regardless of the opposition.

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If we miss out on the play-offs, I will be absolutely devastated, but I would stick by our man. As supporters of Coventry City, we have suffered some catastrophic lows and we must hope that the tide can be turned. When the waves do indeed get choppy, I want Robins to be the man steering the ship. In difficult circumstances he is doing a good job, so here’s to another year and hopefully brighter times.

Play Up Sky Blues.