“We Have To Make The Best Of It Right Now, We Are”

SKY BLUES BOSS MARK ROBINS ON THEIR 'HOME' FORM

- John Wragg

COVENTRY boss Mark Robins admits he had to work on his players to get them prepared for 46 ‘away’ games this season. He won’t divulge how he went about it or what was said, but it’s working. It’s nearly half a century since the Sky Blues have had a ‘home’ start as good as this.

Their foster home at Birmingham City has brought five successive league wins - the best the Sky Blues have done since Gordon Milne was the manager in 1973 and they enjoyed victories over Spurs, Liverpool, Southampton, Manchester City and Derby.

Southend, Bristol Rovers, Gillingham, Blackpool and Wimbledon aren’t in the same class as the ’73 victories, but add in Exeter in the Carabao Cup and Walsall (on penalties) in the Leasing.com Trophy and that’s seven games at St Andrew’s and seven wins.

Coventry had a break yesterday because they were due to play away at Bury and next up is Doncaster back in Birmingham.

It’s a nomad’s life for the Sky Blues.

Their dispute with Wasps is still unresolved and the tenants of the Ricoh Stadium have in effect been evicted.

There’s a suggestion that Coventry are paying £1.4m for the season to rent Birmingham City’s ground. That seems high, but, then again, their rent at the Ricoh was £1.28m a year, something a club that had fallen from the Premier League to League Two could not afford.

Dispute

Robins has brought the club back from that low to the top of League One going into yesterday’s games and Championship football for a club without a home is on the agenda.

Coventry have a club psychologist, paid for, it’s thought, out of the personal pocket of Joy Seppala, who runs the Sky Blues for hedgefund owners Sisu Capital.

If that is true then it’s a remarkable turn around by Seppala, who has been hounded by fans for the way the football club has been run.