Suave to stressed: City takes its toll on Coleman

When he arrived at Coventry City as the Sky Blues new manager in February 2008, Chris Coleman cut a suave figure.

With a relatively successful spell at Fulham behind him and experience of managing abroad with Real Sociedad, his decision to take the Ricoh Arena job was seen as a coup for the club rather than the other way around.

Coleman seemingly had control of his own destiny, deciding which job best fitted in with his ambitions.

Less than two years on and the Welshman was the focus of the Sky cameras throughout Sunday’s shambles at Scunthorpe, still smartly dressed but chewing frantically and seemingly all too aware that the players he had placed his faith in were close to destroying a reputation as a young manager with a huge future ahead of him.

His after-match comments betrayed the pressure that Coleman is now undoubtedly under.

Mixed results last season and at the start of the current campaign didn’t affect his position as fans were well aware that the manager’s hands had been tied to a certain extent, as with the sales of star men Dann and Fox in the summer.

A few months down the line however and for better or worse, the team that City sent out on Sunday was Coleman’s team with nine of his signings starting the game alongside a striker in Leon Best who most other clubs in the league would like to sign.

The shambles that followed means that the manager’s position is being discussed for the first time. He seems to remain popular on a personal level and after years of chopping and changing there is little appetite among fans for yet another change.

Too many more results like that at Scunthorpe however will take the matter out of Coleman’s hands. Another manager to have tried and failed to bring the City back to life.