By CovSid67
May 25 2010

The first in a number of those articles I half wrote, then lost the will to finish, due to a lack of interest in all things Coventry City! (Tomorrow's article: Tommy Hutchison Leaves Coventry City).

A seventeenth place finish in the 2008/9 season, nineteenth in the 2009/10 season - it didn't take Stephen Hawkins to work out this wasn't progress (And it would have been twentieth had Palace not been docked points too). The decision to 'release' Chris Coleman was the correct one, with entertainment in short supply, and two runs of poor, winless form, taking up almost half the 2009/10 season when added together (And the end to his previous season was hugely disappointing too). Unacceptable.

Of the 46 games played in the league last season, very few displays were worth the entrance fee, very few displays were convincing. Whenever Coventry City went ahead, I was never convinced we would hold onto the lead, and when we went behind, I was never convinced we would get back into the match - and I'm sure I wasn't alone with that opinion. Unacceptable.

The final nail in Coleman's coffin was a shambolic display versus Watford, which, according to those that bothered staying until the end, saw members of the board huddled together in the stand, more than likely having an on-the-spot meeting that saw his stint as manager come to an end. The comment from CWR's Geoff Foster that there was 'just pride at stake' as goal No. 4 went in (Versus Watford) merely added insult to injury, as there was, once again, little of said commodity on show throughout. Unacceptable.

To those that bothered with the after-match phone-in, most stated they were were current season ticket holders that were not going to bother re-newing, and that nearly everybody they knew was doing like-wise too (Though one or three, thankfully, seem to have changed their mind!). If the displays weren't enough to cost Coleman his job (Which they should have been!), the loss of money the stay-aways would have cost the club was.

Bizarrely, far to many people who called in seemed bothered that Marcus Hall hadn't been given a final run-out, rather than being bothered about the abject display served up on the pitch! (Maybe they were just so used to it that it was expected). Whatever happened to the 'there's no sentiment in football' line?!

Marcus did his lap of honour in front of an almost empty stadium, while certain other players hid in the dressing room, with one of them stating in a mobile phone call to family in the stands that the players were 'worried about coming back out onto the pitch as they were concerned people would boo them' (No names given, with the only clue being said player might not be here next season!). That wouldn't have happened had they actually joined in....

The team Chris Coleman bought was decent enough, though for whatever reason (Coleman's negative tactics, or the fear of being moaned at by Clinton Morrison, for cocking things up?) just never showed what they were capable of for more than a few minutes every few hours. Certain players did help back my opinion that whenever decent money is offered for them, we should just take it and move on (With Westwood perhaps the only exception to this rule!). Unacceptable.

Coleman's permanent signings were complimented (For want of a better word) by some highly questionnable loan signings. Most Leon Barnett displays made David Rennie look like Franz Beckenbauer, while Freddie Sears build was similar to my seven-year-old daughter - not suitable for Championship football! I know we were repeatedly told money was scarce, but there had to be better options available than these players? (Like keeping hold of Elliott Ward, for instance).

Possibly due to avoiding the media as much as possible, I did not hear the usual 'we've let ourselves down, we've let the manager down' comments following Coleman's dismissal - which might suggest they weren't overly bothered he had gone. Following the announcement, Sky Sports did show some Coventry City players dancing round in the car park at the Connexion though! I'm sure the sacking and the dancing were un-related....

There are always Coventry City supporters that claim the side isn't good enough, though in my humble opinion, there is as much - if not more - in our squad than Blackpool's, and look where they are now. There was also, in my humble opinion, as much in our side as their was in the Burnley side that got promoted too. And more than the Hull side that went up the season before.

Supporters always claim there isn't enough money available for transfers, but it isn't always about investment, it's as much about attitude, and over the summer that has to change for everybody connected with Coventry City.

"If the players haven't got a big enough pair of balls to play five good games out of six, then it is disappointing" - Chris Coleman.