Mark Robins has called for greater defensive resilience. Picture: PA.
MORE resilience is demanded by Coventry City manager Mark Robins following Saturday’s narrow 3-2 defeat at newly-relegated Watford.
The Sky Blues were narrowly ousted at Vicarage Road after Ismaila Sarr won the day from the penalty spot with seven minutes to play, though City briefly found themselves in front after Gustavo Hamer and Tyler Walker both netted in the space of a minute.
With Coventry handed their seventh Championship defeat this term, Robins has called for greater strength of character from his squad.
“We’re just not giving ourselves a chance to grow into the game,” he said. “They’re under pressure and they’re starting to feel it and we don’t give ourselves enough time to let them feel the pressure.
“The biggest thing for me is that we concede too many goals and we are soft.
“They’ve got to understand, I’m looking for warriors, it’s a tough league and I’m not expecting us to roll over and die, we can make sure that we’re more committed.
“It’s really difficult because they’re giving me everything, but we’re playing against Individual players and teams that are better.
“As a team, we’re starting to get there, we’re putting really good performances in and it’s very difficult when we’re losing games like we are, we have to be better and understand that we’re going to have to put bodies on the line on a more regular basis.”
In last weekend’s topsy-turvy affair, all five goals fell in the second half despite an entertaining opening period.
Andre Gray broke the deadlock when applying the finishing touch from Ken Sema’s pass in the 53rd minute, a lead that lasted all of ten minutes when Hamer stunned Ben Foster with a header that spectacularly looped into the net from no less than 25 yards out.
There was Sky Blue elation little than a minute later, when Walker netted his first league goal for City with a smart finish following Maxime Biamou’s knock down.
Two minutes later though, William Troost-Ekong thumped home a James Garner corner to wipe out the visitors’ joy, putting the Hornets on track to snatch all three points late on when Sarr stroked home from 12 yards following Callum O’Hare’s handball.
With the international break on the horizon, Coventry are out of action until Friday, November 20 when ‘hosting’ tenants Birmingham City.
