It’s no secret that promoted sides find it difficult to stay up once promoted. This year, the league saw a change for the first time in two seasons, with Sunderland not only staying up, but incredibly reaching the Europa League! Moreover, Leeds United impressed and comfortably stayed up. Despite this, though, staying in the division is still extremely hard, and I have identified three key positions that Coventry need to strengthen in order to avoid relegation.
1. Goalkeeper
This season, Carl Rushworth has been incredible. He has achieved a huge 17 clean sheets, as well as having the highest goals prevented in the division – 6.7. He also managed a 73.2% save percentage and can consider himself unlucky to miss out on Championship POTY. At 24, now in the fifth loan spell of his career, he will no doubt be looking to find a permanent move – or even stay at parent club, Brighton. This rumour comes after major interest in Bart Verbruggen from Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Tottenham. However, major interest has accrued from multiple Premier League sides for Rushworth’s services – including Leeds United and Newcastle. It is estimated that Brighton will want around the £20m mark, but with just one year left on his contract, it is almost entirely up to him. With so many moving factors, it’s certainly not definite that Coventry will retain his services into the next campaign; if they can, it is a major step forward to achieving in the top division. Other options include Anthony Patterson and Ewen Jaouen – both fairly inexperienced but exciting nonetheless.
2. Striker
Scoring goals this season has been no problem for Coventry. Lampard’s 4-2-3-1 has worked so effectively, with wingers, midfielders and defenders all chipping in with goals and assists. The Sky Blues have managed a massive 97 goals – the most by any Championship team for 4 seasons, and that’s a testament not only to the system, but also the quality of the players.
Current strikers Ellis Simms and Haji Wright have managed a huge 30 league goals between them, yet many fans, including myself, believe they could potentially be improved. Wright is a proven scorer at Championship level, but Coventry are almost certainly looking to bring in a Premier League-ready striker and with West Ham being linked with a £20m bid, at 28 years old, it will be hard to say no. Since the season ended, we have all seen Coventry’s transfer targets: Lois Openda and Troy Parrott labelled as “ambitious” and “unrealistic”, but I think both these options make sense for all parties. Openda, once labelled a “wonderkid” after success at Vitesse and Lens, made the move to RB Leipzig seamlessly – scoring 41 goals across two seasons. Despite this, the Belgian has only managed two this season for Juventus and will perhaps be looking for a loan move before integrating into Serie A. Now looking at the latter, Irish sensation Troy Parrott will be looking for a Premier League move after rebuilding his reputation in the Eredivisie, and what better club to showcase himself at than attack-focused Coventry City? Neither of these will be easy to get though, with evident competition from Spurs and Leeds. A wildcard option could see a return for Callum Wilson, who is now out of contract. The 34-year-old’s career is far from over, and his impact off the bench cannot be overstated. Personally, this move makes so much sense.
3. Left Back
Whilst Jay Dasilva has been impressive this season, little to no squad depth in this position makes it imperative that a signing is made. Speculative links this week suggest possible moves for Ben Chilwell or Jacques Ekomie, but both of these feel risky, with both Ligue 1 players struggling to make things happen progressively. This weakness (highlighted by their combined zero goals and three assists in 67 games) makes them, in my opinion, unsuitable for a Frank Lampard side. Personally, I believe the Sky Blues should target 32-year-old Andy Robertson. Whilst the Scotsman has shown inevitable decline this year, his progressive runs and technical ability would work wonders in this City team. For full-backs, he ranks in the 5th percentile for successful passes, accurate long balls and chances created per 90, and this will only improve while playing for a side with less quality. Furthermore, his 10-year experience in a title-challenging team is irreplaceable and gives Coventry a unique advantage over potential competitors. Robertson, who has managed 69 assists in his time at Liverpool, will be hoping to bounce back from this disappointing season and what better way to do it. Another potential reason this move could be effective is his fitness issues. It gives Jay Dasilva a chance to play often, but with the added benefit of Robertson’s experience and technical ability.
Overall, all signings suggested should work effectively in a Frank Lampard system. The importance of experience is almost proven entirely by Granit Xhaka’s impact on that Sunderland side, and the addition of quality from other leagues should make Coventry a force to be reckoned with next season.
