Carlton Palmer is backing Coventry City and manager Mark Robins to turn things around and have a successful Championship season, pushing for the play-offs rather than languishing at the tail end of the division where they find themselves after the opening nine games of the campaign.
The former Sky Blues and England midfielder, who played 30 top flight games for the club between 1999 and 2001, was at Saturday’s match at the CBS Arena where City slipped to a 2-1 defeat by one of his other former clubs, Sheffield Wednesday.
And after witnessing the performance with his own eyes, the 58-year-old is convinced there are better times ahead for Coventry.
“Coventry City are on eight points, only two places above the relegation zone but equally they’re only eight points off the play-offs,” he said, speaking to Football League World.
“Obviously Coventry are in 20th position in the league. I was at the game on the weekend and everybody knows I’m a massive Sheffield Wednesday supporter, I thought Coventry didn’t deserve to lose the game.
“Wednesday will feel that they’ve been unlucky this season and should have more points on the board, but whenever I watch a game I go off goalkeepers and who has been busier.
“Wednesday’s goalkeeper [James Beadle] made two outstanding saves in the game, so Coventry were very unlucky. I didn’t think they deserved to win the game but they certainly didn’t deserve to lose, so a draw would’ve been a fair result.”
As for the vocal minority on social media questioning Mark Robins, Palmer had this message for them, saying: “Listen, I don’t think Mark Robins should be under any kind of pressure with the job he’s done at Coventry. This is the first year where there’s been stability, he’s always had to rebuild the club every year, they sold Viktor Gyokeres and Gus Hamer – two really top-drawer players you’ve had to replace.
“We all know what Robins will do, two or three wins will push you up the table. Again, I believe Coventry will be in and around the play-offs come the end of the season, so there should be no talk about Robins and his job, it should be a case of letting him get on and do his job as he’s always done. I’m sure they’re going to have a successful season again.”
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