The sixth league game schedules some of the top matches. While Derby are trying their luck at Sheffield Utd,their fiercest rivals, Sheffield Wednesday host the current underperformer Nottingham Forrest, in an evening full of football in the Championship. Payback time for Ipswich and Plymouth in impossible travels to Middlesborough and West Bromwich and Coventry F.C. play by “all or nothing” on an eagerly expected match against Bristol City at Ricoh Arena.
Five defeats in five games. These are the less encouraging statistics when it comes to counting the last matches between Coventry F.C. and the team which is currently regarded as a strong contender for the upper table this season, Bristol City. More than that, the “sky blues” seemed to have lost their confidence after a series of two straight defeats and no goals scored for a period of three games by now. On the other side, Bristol City come after a brilliant 2-1 win over promotion favourites Middlesbrough and find themselves on an honourable 5th place in the Championship table after five games. All these would lead to a facile win for the visitors at Ricoh on Saturday afternoon, but Coventry is not as easy to break down. Coleman’s team is currently only three points down to the play-off places and a win over “the Robins” would send the team “back in bussiness” for earning the top spots in a long and contested season.
Bristol’s manager Gary Johnson seemed rather optimistic when talking to the journalists and stated that ” Ricoh is a lovely stadium, especially when you’ve got that deja vu feeling in the dressing room. To us the away dressing room has only been a happy one. Our supporters enjoy going there too as it’s not a million miles away and we always put on a good performance there.” On the other side, his team should take care of avoiding complacency as a win over the Sky Blues is not to be earned by the simple presence on the field, concluded the manager.
Coventry F.C. have to manage this match without the services of the dutch defender Patrick Van Aanholt, but also without the long-term injured James McPake and David Bell, due to problems at collarbone and ankle. More than that, the other two defenders Marcus Hall and Elliot Ward are not certain for the forecoming match, but they are expected to be on the bench as reserves. Bristol City have come to Ricoh with two players less, John Akinde injured and Paul Hartley exhausted after playing in both matches for Scotland in the last five days.
Tags: bristol, championship, coventry, patrick van aanholt
