Coventry Home First Game of the Season

[Tommy Fresh]

Am I the only one who thinks regardless of if they beat us or not they'll struggle this year? Perhaps not as bad as when Barnsley fell off but think they'll be bottom half.

[FoxinNotts]

Hopefully we wear the third kit

[Paninistickers]

Cov are almost certainly the worst team we've played in a league fixture in 9 years.  

 

Even the awful Sheffield United, Villa, West Brom, Watford and Norwich teams in the PL were miles ahead of a top 6 championship team

 

The only team who might run them close was Huddersfield a few years back

[Lillehamring]

6 hours ago, James_lcfc said:

 

He didn't look really good against Liverpool though did he....and you've only watched one other game! I like Ricardo, but he's hardly going to be the answer to all our problems is he.

 

You are absolutely full of blind faith - Very admirable, but you will be very disappointed on Sunday afternoon.

 

Sounds like I'm revelling in it - Not the case, just can't see it going any other way. Hopefully you can come back on this thread on Sunday and tell me how much of a c**t I am 

Ok,  i only said he had good 'moments' against liverpool; tactically, the game shifted away from the winks/ricardo pivot, so he really wasn't involved as much as the Northampton game, where he was stellar. 

Can you explain why he won't be any good in that position - what are you basing this on? - not being awesome against one of the best pressing teams in the country? 

I didn't say he was going to be the answer to all our problems - the original post said his injury record was a real worry, which it is, but not sufficiently to believe we are inevitably doomed, the next suggest that he was, i paraphrase, past his best - all i'm saying is that i don't believe he is - did you read the winks interview about ricardo - he seems excited to be playing alongside him.

 

I'm not full of blind faith - i'm not just desperately hoping for a miracle - i look at the standard of our team, the things i have seen so far and the strength of the opposition and i think we have a good chance to get something against coventry.  we can't guess how things will work in a real life game, there's so many unpredictable elements, but i've seen enough to know that, if it clicks, we have every chance of getting 3 points.  what i can tell you, is that if we play as we did against liverpool in the  first half hour, whatever the result, i'll be pleased - because progress is as important as points at this stage.

 

You probably are a C*n*, anyway - regardless of the result  - I know i am!

[Lillehamring]

6 hours ago, Costock_Fox said:

On the flip side, they have

only lost 2 players and have a recent history of overachieving with the squad they have.

 

I don’t think they are world beaters but we look to be a long way short of having a successful summer rebuild.

The trouble with having an overachieving, yet ultimately unsuccessful season, is that it's hard to go back to the start and see it through all over again, especially without players who were key to that first season.

[Lillehamring]

4 hours ago, Tommy G said:

Spoke to a Cov fan at work, puffed his chest out and said he thinks Cov will beat us 2-1 or 3-1. Seems confident, he's been to all their pre season games this year.

With all due respect, they've played Forest green rovers, only drew with shrewsbury, thumped mk dons and a narrow win over exeter.  regardless of the quality, and without being an expert on these teams, i'd wager none of them play anything like how we play - so i'd say of all the influencing factors, coventry's pre-season form is probably the least significant thing

 

[Lillehamring]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Would you have argued back and forth with someone who was taking a best case scenario view? I.E those that think we're going to absolutely destroy the league? 

Nah - my mission is purely to defeat negativity and sourness!  Also, FT seems split between those who can find nothing good and those who are cautiously optimistic - the 'piss the league' brigade are thin on numbers and don't seem serious.  And it's hard to debate with someone who has a similar mindset - i don't think we'll destroy the league, but i do think we'll be there or thereabouts.

 

Also - 'argue back and forth' - come on, man - this is a forum, we're here to debate!

If a 'worst case scenario-ist is prepared to offer genuine reasons why we should be concerned, all well and good - but if the best they've got is jet lag, only buying 5 new players and last seasons bad habits, then they need to be held accountable, they need to justify the negativity, why post an opinion if you're not prepared to defend it.

[dynamark]

I had an e mail about the third kit today(as many did) why the hell would I want to purchase the third kit.Second is first of the losers .third?

Whatever else Cov game will tell us where we are in this division.

[Ric Flair]

24 minutes ago, Lillehamring said:

Nah - my mission is purely to defeat negativity and sourness!  Also, FT seems split between those who can find nothing good and those who are cautiously optimistic - the 'piss the league' brigade are thin on numbers and don't seem serious.  And it's hard to debate with someone who has a similar mindset - i don't think we'll destroy the league, but i do think we'll be there or thereabouts.

 

Also - 'argue back and forth' - come on, man - this is a forum, we're here to debate!

If a 'worst case scenario-ist is prepared to offer genuine reasons why we should be concerned, all well and good - but if the best they've got is jet lag, only buying 5 new players and last seasons bad habits, then they need to be held accountable, they need to justify the negativity, why post an opinion if you're not prepared to defend it.

I've no issue with the back and forth, that's the beauty of forums. I was just curious about why some fans will call out negativity but more than content with equally unwarranted optimism.

 

Now I realise optimism is far more healthy and seemingly harmless than negativity but I certainly sympathise with fans who are still extremely downbeat about us. I'm in the camp of trying to gain some hope we'll do well under Maresca but it's more hope than faith given the decline from last season, his inexperience and not as much change as we'd have hoped to personnel on and off the field. I think I've always found relegation difficult to deal with until the following season starts and the games come thick and fast.

 

Let's hope we all unite come Sunday and we start well. 🙏 

 

[Fox seen in Norwich]

1 hour ago, FoxinNotts said:

Hopefully we wear the third kit

We’re home so doubt it

[FoxinNotts]

2 minutes ago, Fox seen in Norwich said:

We’re home so doubt it

It was a timely joke mate

[foxfanazer]

Horribly unprepared as has become expected with this club. We'll be relying on individuals to mask over the ineptitude of the decision makers at the club 

[moore_94]

Cov currently getting smacked by Nuneaton and Leroy Lita

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(yes it is a youth team but shush )

[foxfanazer]

9 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Cov currently getting smacked by Nuneaton and Leroy Lita

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(yes it is a youth team but shush )

Leroy Lita? What bloody year is it?!

 

Oh and is he on the clubs radar?

Edited 1 August 2023 by foxfanazer

[Leicesterpool]

15 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Leroy Lita? What bloody year is it?!

 

Oh and is he on the clubs radar?

Second spell with club, in fact dont knock lita scored over 15 goals in the southern league central last year.

[Leicesterpool]

Btw "Coventry get battered everywhere they go"... 😉

[richard123]

I think we will win this. 2 or 3 1

[Fazzer 7]

We should go back to blue shirts and white shorts. How it used to be. 

[Lillehamring]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I've no issue with the back and forth, that's the beauty of forums. I was just curious about why some fans will call out negativity but more than content with equally unwarranted optimism.

 

Now I realise optimism is far more healthy and seemingly harmless than negativity but I certainly sympathise with fans who are still extremely downbeat about us. I'm in the camp of trying to gain some hope we'll do well under Maresca but it's more hope than faith given the decline from last season, his inexperience and not as much change as we'd have hoped to personnel on and off the field. I think I've always found relegation difficult to deal with until the following season starts and the games come thick and fast.

 

Let's hope we all unite come Sunday and we start well. 🙏 

 

I think in part, it's a defence mechanism - i love the club and i don't like people trashing it - granted there have been mistakes, but this happens in sport, it's notoriously a hit or miss business; i don't like people looking for reasons to justify their hate and disenchantment - a glaring example is, the treatment of rudkin - we all know, even us blue tinted dreamers, that he has probably reached his best-by date, but people are blaming him for things that have nothing to do with his job and actually being personally offensive towards him.  I could give dozens of other examples, but it's all so...negative. It annoys me to see people criticizing without backing up their complaint, of assuming the worst and of fan the flames of decent and grievance.  Alternately, those who are deludedly optimistic and can see nothing but 100+ points and vardy getting the golden boot - it does no harm, it's amusing.  The negativity seems serious, it can seep through and have a real impact on the club (for example how the unfair criticism of puel built up to such a point, his position became untenable); positivity, at worst is just silly. it make you smile and think - well, you never know!

 

I've followed your turmoil with interest since i came back on here at the end of the season, given you clearly have a distinct perspective on the game, and i've seen a slow shift towards a more optimistic perspective - it's hard to be mad at the thing you love, right - and the reason i campaign so hard is because i think i can help people fall in love with the club again, to see that maybe there's another way to look at the situation and the events that we've experienced in the last year.

 

Relegation is cruel, i was furious and embarrassed, but even before it happened i started to think of how, in the long run, it could benefit us, and what i hoped for, an exicting KP2.0, seems to be happening.

[jim5000]

On 31/07/2023 at 12:10, Lionator said:

I think if we lose this then people might turn on Maresca already unfortunately, you can sense it on here. 

Paulo Sousa mk2

[Big_Nige]

Pros 

 

1. New manager - In my mind the reason we under performed so spectacularly last season was 100% because of Rodgers. It’s not the players. Of course they shoulder blame, but I’ve never seen a group of players regress as much as in the last 18 months. That comes from the management team. I’ll give anyone and everyone a “second” chance under Enzo 

 

2. Pre-season - Disregard the travelling, take the results in isolation, ignore the lack of goals and forget the spanking against Liverpool. But….. dig a bit deeper and the players are listening. It’s Pep-ball when it comes off and when it clicks we’re in for some god damn sexy football

 

Cons

1. Coady’s injury. Whatever this mystery injury is, and I’m assuming the worst, that takes out one of the key components of this re-build. Huge miss. 

2. Creativity. We’ve sorted out the keeper, defence and an holding midfield. We’ve got a embarrassment of riches when it comes to strikers. There’s a huge imbalance in the squad. It needs to be addressed ASAP

Edited 1 August 2023 by Big_Nige

[Pliskin]

11 hours ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Am I the only one who thinks regardless of if they beat us or not they'll struggle this year? Perhaps not as bad as when Barnsley fell off but think they'll be bottom half.

They’ve lost key players, mostly the ones on loan last season. With just one remaining and he’s set to leave anyway. 
 

To be fair, the championship absolutely honks. All three of us who came down should really be looking to come back up. Us and Southampton were comfortably established teams until poor decision making became our undoing. Leeds heavily invested to try and catch up, but their squad even now is too good for the championship. 
 

For us three clubs it will be a question of attitude, if the attitude is right then we all should come back up and have a mini battle between ourselves. 
 

The championship although competitive is poor, there’s a lot of very poor teams in this league, which is reflected on how bad the premier league looks this season. It’s the worst it’s been for a long time. English football bar the top 10 of the premier league, is very poor at the moment. Very poor indeed. 

[Leicesterpool]

7 hours ago, jim5000 said:

Paulo Sousa mk2

Sousa walked into a club that were peed off still that Pearson was let go. So it was always going to be difficult for him, plus alot of foxes fans including myself didn't rate him. I think this time round things are different the club needed a restart with a young upcoming manager.

[Ashley]

36 years and counting. 

[James_lcfc]

13 hours ago, Lillehamring said:

Ok,  i only said he had good 'moments' against liverpool; tactically, the game shifted away from the winks/ricardo pivot, so he really wasn't involved as much as the Northampton game, where he was stellar. 

Can you explain why he won't be any good in that position - what are you basing this on? - not being awesome against one of the best pressing teams in the country? 

I didn't say he was going to be the answer to all our problems - the original post said his injury record was a real worry, which it is, but not sufficiently to believe we are inevitably doomed, the next suggest that he was, i paraphrase, past his best - all i'm saying is that i don't believe he is - did you read the winks interview about ricardo - he seems excited to be playing alongside him.

 

I'm not full of blind faith - i'm not just desperately hoping for a miracle - i look at the standard of our team, the things i have seen so far and the strength of the opposition and i think we have a good chance to get something against coventry.  we can't guess how things will work in a real life game, there's so many unpredictable elements, but i've seen enough to know that, if it clicks, we have every chance of getting 3 points.  what i can tell you, is that if we play as we did against liverpool in the  first half hour, whatever the result, i'll be pleased - because progress is as important as points at this stage.

 

You probably are a C*n*, anyway - regardless of the result  - I know i am!

I'm just basing it on Ricardo not having been very good for a long time now, to be honest. Like I said, I like him but it's not really a time for sentiment is it. I also thought he looked very uncomfortable in the middle against Liverpool. He did OK against Northampton, but 'stellar'? No.

 

I don't understand people waxing lyrical about the first 30 minutes against Liverpool either. We were OK yes, but it was largely them just feeling their way into the game from what I saw.

 

Fair enough on the rest - I just disagree. Some of us are still angry about last year, and it's down to the club/team to breed the positivity now, rather than us just blindly clapping along. We are far too nice and accepting as a fan base and we always have been.

 

I am not a negative person though - I just wanted to make that clear . I just haven't seen any evidence of change from last year, and in my opinion, the rot runs deep and a BIG clear out was required.