They’re nine points off safety, but can Coventry City avoid the drop?
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Bottom of the League One table, having scored fewer goals than 22 other sides in the division, it’s fair to say things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for Coventry City this season.
They’re currently nine points off safety too, with only 15 games still to play.
But at odds of 4/1, can they avoid the drop?
Parting ways with Tony Mowbray in September was followed by great uncertainty around the club, who didn’t appoint current manager, Russell Slade, until almost three months later.
Coventry played 11 games during that time, and while five wins in six games in all competitions following Mowbray’s departure suggested the future was looking bright, the Sky Blues later went on a run of six straight league defeats before an announcement was made on a new manager.
Slade had to wait 10 games for his first league victory with the Midlands outfit, which came last weekend against Gillingham. But those first three points under his belt should work wonders for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, there’s also a first trip to Wembley to look forward to since 1987 having booked their place in the Checkatrade Trophy final.
And in truth, his side haven’t been that bad in recent weeks. After narrowly losing out to Oldham Athletic just over a week ago, Cov have since picked up a point on the road against AFC Wimbledon and now three points against the Gills.
Those two games will have injected some optimism and the fans will be right behind their team this weekend when Swindon Town visit the Ricoh Arena. That’s because another three points would see them creep even closer to their relegation rivals.
And the fixture list has been fairly kind to Slade’s men in the next couple of weeks, as they’re set to meet 20th-placed Bury and 17th-placed Shrewsbury Town after Saturday’s clash with the Robins.
The dip in form of some of the other teams currently in this relegation scrap could also play into Coventry’s hands.
Four of the league’s current bottom seven are without a win in their last five outings, so without getting ahead of ourselves it looks as though City are finding their form at just the right time.
Of course, experienced heads are crucial at this stage of the season. That’s why Slade has added former Everton striker and Nigeria’s third highest goalscorer of all-time, Yakubu, to his ranks.
He’s made two appearances for Coventry so far, coming off the bench in their last two games.
And rumours today are suggesting another big name could be arriving soon, with Premier League winner Kieran Richardson heavily linked with a move to the club.
And boasting over 250 Premier League appearances, the 32-year-old would certainly be a welcome addition at the Ricoh.
Coventry are preparing for a crucial part of their campaign right now. And new arrivals, coupled with their recent form suggests they’re going about things the right way in their attempt to avoid the drop.
With that in mind, we reckon the 4/1 on them doing exactly that looks like cracking value.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
