Preview: City v Coventry away . 27.11.99

Clash of the Blues!!!

Peter Gilbert. 21.11.99

Just a short jaunt away from Leicester lies a suburban desert which is the home of a football team who play in shirts a faded shade of ours. They try to call it Sky Blue but it's not. It's faded that's all -faded and jaded.   They apppear to be on the slide every year but they always manage to survive like an undetected flu bug which lies dormant and benign.   It's a fact that these faded blues have survived in the top flight for thirty two years, a record only surpassed by Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool, without ever distinguishing themselves in the league.
Almost without fail every year nearly brings about their demise, but no - they survive and hang in there to plague us all every year.
I can't remember a truly exciting game against Cov.. True we've beaten them quite often and drawn and sadly lost too.  Their mediocrity seems to hypnotise teams into playing dull unattractive football which is dangerous.
They now have a 'bright' young manager, a Scottish Ginger Nut who can't shut up and loses all sense when his team loses. He apparantly is charming and witty with his players, but he has a junior school attitude towards football and squeals like a stuck pig if things go against him as if he were in a playground game with the jumpers down as goal posts. When interviewed on TV he acts as if he needs 'six of the best' simply to shut him and bring him to his senses. His famous quote of 'Football is a simple game - it's just that the players make it difficult.' is in itself an interesting statement and if analysed I think it shows a flaw in his character which has a low tolerance level and and a high frustration level when presented with difficulties - he is someone who would rather explode than persevere when challenged.
Coventry City have however over the last few years put together one of their better sides which has been accompanied with some 'big deals' in the transfer market.
They have plans for a big ground and all is harmonious in the boardroom. So some of my comments might be tinged with some jealousy, although I wouldn't swop their team for ours - no way.   And I certainly wouldn't swop managers.   Strachan has bought and sold imaginatively, not all his deals have come off but he should be complimented for off loading Huckerby to Leeds and replacing him with Robbie Keane, who scores good goals but his cartwheel celebrations are poor.    He's gone foreign too in attack, defence and in goal.   Coventry City may have the last great Scottish footballer in Gary Mcallister.......I don't see any more on the horizon, which makes England's recent 'qualification' all the more suspect.

Match forecast: Scoreless draw.

Did You Know?
1. Cov. were formed by workers of Singer's cycle factory in 1883.   They were known as Singers FC until 1898 when they became Coventry City.
2.This season marks 100 years in their present ground on Highfield Road.
3.In 1981 their's was the first all seater ground in English football.
4.They won the FA Cup in 1987...........that's it.
5.They've been in Europe just once but were knocked out by Bayern Munich 7-3 on aggregate.
6. Cov. have played in more leagues than any other league side. Sorry this is so tedious.
7. Their 'keeper Steve Ogrizovic once scored a goal............wow.
8. They sold Dion Dublin to Villa for £5.75m, he wanted to come to us but......we couldn't afford him.
9. They hold the record of consecutive games without scoring a goal with 11 barren matches in 1919.........told you they were dull.