Why Robins must trust youth at Coventry

Slade leaves after 13 games – bbc.co.uk

Coventry City’s season is sliding towards a sad but inevitable conclusion. Russell Slade has been sacked as manager after just one win in 13 league games in charge, leaving the club rock bottom of League One.

Given that Coventry had lost 22 of their previous 42 games prior to Slade’s arrival, it may be unfair to deem him solely responsible for the club’s plight. However, nobody will deny that the former Charlton boss has made mistakes. As he requested, there was no fire-sale in January and he was given the players he had targeted, such as former colleagues Kevin Foley and Nathan Clarke.

Slade’s favoured system has traditionally been a rigid 4-4-2 with disciplined central midfielders and industrious wide men. This preference has caused compatibility issues. Coventry’s better players are younger, more creative and energetic but slender types, who perhaps lack certain qualities you’d want from players in a 4-4-2.

For example, Jodi Jones is a bright, young talent who, although a little raw technically, always has the bravery to cut inside and take defenders on. He often impressed when he came off the bench or played in the EFL Trophy, yet was never given a league start under Slade.

Gael Bigirimana is a dynamic midfielder that likes to carry the ball forward from deep. He is a jack of all trades, but a master of none, which makes him unsuitable for a system like 4-4-2 that requires players with a narrow but refined skillset. Bigirimana has neither the discipline to play in the middle, the pace to play out wide nor the goalscoring ability to be a second striker.

Thus, the ex-Newcastle trainee has only started two league games, the first one seeing him taken off early in the second half at Bristol Rovers. Since then, it is arguable that the games he has started including EFL Trophy have coincided with Coventry’s better performances.

The Sky Blues beat the Brighton U23s 3-0 in that competition, when Slade switched to a 4-5-1 to incorporate Jones and Bigirimana among others with Stuart Beavon as the lone striker. Surely, that was the blueprint for future games.

And yet, Slade’s mistrust of youth meant just two of the players who started that match began the 1-0 defeat at Chesterfield the following Saturday. Slade was unwilling to trust the young players who showed potential in that competition, when the more senior players did little to keep their place. If he was going to go for experience and long ball football, there needed to be defensive improvements to justify that. With 24 goals conceded in 13 games, there is reason to believe Slade’s tactics invited pressure and thus, his sacking is understandable.

Replacement Mark Robins, who left in 2013, will have difficulties working under the current regime. He arrives perhaps with a point to prove after walking out one game into Huddersfield’s 14/15 campaign then facing criticism at Scunthorpe. Repairing this fallen giant will not be easy – but a bit more faith in youth wouldn’t go amiss.