Robins Relishing The Task?

Speaking after another good away win for his improving side, Coventry City manager Mark Robins said on Wednesday that he ‘could not believe’ how many visiting fans made the journey to Colchester, just days after another long trek to Hartlepool was also rewarded with three points.

Although the size of the task facing him at the Ricoh Arena is huge, it appears that the latest Sky Blues boss is slowly getting to grips with it while also seeing for himself the possibilities that lie ahead should he get it right.

Formerly at Rotherham and Barnsley, Robins had been out of management for a season before being appointed as Andy Thorn’s permanent successor earlier this year and, although Barnsley have clearly been a much better run club than the Sky Blues over the past decade the potential that still exists at his new club is much greater given the latent fanbase and facilities available.

As has been shown again this week, with Chelsea turning straight away to Rafael Benitez after sacking Roberto Di Matteo, the big jobs are off limits to managers who are currently in the lower divisions no matter how well they are doing. When was the last time a Premier League club went into the leagues below to appoint a new boss?

For a young English manager, Coventry City does present Robins with perhaps his only realistic chance of taking charge of a club in the Premier League, following the lead of Nigel Adkins and Paul Lambert among others after they took Southampton and Norwich respectively up two divisions and into the top-flight.