I thought it was a curious decision. Must be carrying a knock to have taken him off.
Match Thread ⚽️ Coventry City vs Millwall Match Thread - Tuesday 14th Feb (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Nick
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Fortunately he didn't seem to be limping, so hopefully he is OK as he was great again tonight. I think he had just done so much running and to be fair Kelly made a couple of useful interventions.
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"We were made to work hard but we showed some really good quality and we were good value for the win.
"To keep a clean sheet was important - and the goal that won it was worthy of winning any game. Kasey Palmer did well and Vik's turn and strike was absolutely magnificent.
"The work he puts in, the stick he takes. He's taken over from Callum O'Hare as our most fouled player - but they all want his shirt at the final whistle. That's how well he's thought of.
"Matty Godden has picked up a calf strain. He says it feels like cramp. He's probably going to be back for the Sunderland game a week on Saturday."
"We were made to work hard but we showed some really good quality and we were good value for the win.
"To keep a clean sheet was important - and the goal that won it was worthy of winning any game. Kasey Palmer did well and Vik's turn and strike was absolutely magnificent.
"The work he puts in, the stick he takes. He's taken over from Callum O'Hare as our most fouled player - but they all want his shirt at the final whistle. That's how well he's thought of.
"Matty Godden has picked up a calf strain. He says it feels like cramp. He's probably going to be back for the Sunderland game a week on Saturday."
Fair comments from Rowett -
Millwall manager Gary Rowett:
"Against a team like Coventry, when they've got Gyokeres up front, what you can't do is give balls away and leave him space against defenders because he's very, very good at utilising that space.
"At times he looked an immense threat. Did we not deal with him well enough? Or is he just a really good player that a lot of teams are going to struggle against? I don't know. But, if you want to keep a clean sheet and get something out of the game, you've got to go and keep him quiet.
"He looked a handful all night. The goal is probably a testament to that, he brings it down, turns one way, wriggles back inside and hits it from 30 yards.
"Coventry really had the edge about them at the start, a bit like we've done to so many teams. Really bright, full of running. It took us a while to get into the game. Did we deserve a draw? Probably not."
Millwall manager Gary Rowett:
"Against a team like Coventry, when they've got Gyokeres up front, what you can't do is give balls away and leave him space against defenders because he's very, very good at utilising that space.
"At times he looked an immense threat. Did we not deal with him well enough? Or is he just a really good player that a lot of teams are going to struggle against? I don't know. But, if you want to keep a clean sheet and get something out of the game, you've got to go and keep him quiet.
"He looked a handful all night. The goal is probably a testament to that, he brings it down, turns one way, wriggles back inside and hits it from 30 yards.
"Coventry really had the edge about them at the start, a bit like we've done to so many teams. Really bright, full of running. It took us a while to get into the game. Did we deserve a draw? Probably not."
When you all get back training at Ryton, please have a session on throw-ins. This has been a weak point for City for years. We never seem to be able to create an attack from a throw in. It would be good to mix a long throw in now and again if we have someone capable.
I agree, and I think the idea that he couldn’t last a full game was exaggerated / imagined anyway by certain people. Even in previous games, OK he drifted out of them at times, but I don’t think it’s a fitness or desire issue. It’s just incredibly hard for flair players to keep impressing across 90 minutes, unless they are in a Man City type team that totally dominates possession. And when the team is on the back foot, someone like Palmer is bound to look like a luxury at times. To me he’s a real talent, works really hard, and has looked like a good signing from the start. Gives us something beyond what anyone else in the squad offers.
Good performance all round. Only really Allen was below par I thought.
Fair play to the Millwall sub Voglsammer. He skied a shot during the warm up and hit a girl. Went over straight away to check she was alright and gave her his training top. Good man.
Fair play to the Millwall sub Voglsammer. He skied a shot during the warm up and hit a girl. Went over straight away to check she was alright and gave her his training top. Good man.
Why did you want to go back to the Ricoh? Couldn’t you have just stayed there?
I got caught up in that too. No warning before you were forced to go back onto the M6. What a balls ache
The shot Vic had where it rebounded off the goalie, then Vic and just went wide. It bobbled just before Vic hit it. I”ll forgive him that one…
Seen some nonsense on here. Palmer and Vik the best players on the park. Palmer MOM, should have had at least two assists to his name. His timing of the threaded passes is sublime. All of the usual suspects moaning about subs, who would you have taken off and for who?
Very good point. We needed fresh legs out there, but then wasn't high quality on the bench in reality was there
Agree about Palmer but just in terms of time-management why not Maguire for Palmer (to keep him that tiny bit fresher for Saturday), or MaGuire for Allen (because what did he offer, really?), Rose as an extra defender on for Eccles and re-shuffle (touch line timewasting), even Walker for Allen and have Vik drop deep and defend long throws and corners?
I think maguire can’t be very good
What I didn’t quite get was removing Hamer when he looked fresh and can set up counters better than Kelly who really looks past it now. He did it against Swansea and we conceded anyway. If Hamer were on a booking sure, but he wasn’t.
I can see your point. Maybe Kelly for Eccles might have been a better move.
Hamer came off because he'd hurt his back.
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Or just not properly match fit and/or bedding in Pete. It’s takes some players weeks or months even to get fully up to speed at a new club, especially if they’ve not been playing, short of confidence or whatever, yet we seem to expect players to come in and be world beaters from day one. Palmers also taller and more physical which was needed later in the game, especially at set pieces. Walker might’ve been a better option
We’ll see if Maguire turns out to be any good or not. I agree with the comments that giving palmer* a breather may have been sensible but every time i thought he was done, he’d do another 60 yard sprint to close them down. Maybe if it was Weds game Robins would’ve had that in his mind a bit more.
*and others, robins always seems a bit reticent even when we’re blowing out our arses and other teams are on top
I didn’t follow this match thread, so it may have been mentioned already, and I haven’t seen a replay but that looked like a penalty at the end there right? when Palmer slipped over and took their player out?
He's gone from not being able to play two games in a week to starting the last 10 in a row or something like that, and playing 90 in most of them
Robins said at the start of the season it would take time to get him up to speed and people asked how can it take so long. Well MR was right and hopefully we're beginning to see the fruits of that labour now.
Listened to the phone in on the way home - thought Martin Winch was quite aggressive with Vik considering he stayed here ( undoubtedly there was interest ) had just scored a worldy and ruined Millwalls day ! 
Oh no what did he say?Listened to the phone in on the way home - thought Martin Winch was quite aggressive with Vik considering he stayed here ( undoubtedly there was interest ) had just scored a worldy and ruined Millwalls day !
Listened to the phone in on the way home - thought Martin Winch was quite aggressive with Vik considering he stayed here ( undoubtedly there was interest ) had just scored a worldy and ruined Millwalls day !
Was a bizarre interview, more focused on whether he was close to moving/wanting to go or something along those lines, rather than speaking about another match winning display by ending his goal drought. I think he signed off by saying ‘hopefully we won’t have to wait so long for the next one’.
Great performance tonight although nervy last 15. Deserved to be a couple up at half time. Everyone contributed but Palmer, cuffy, Vik and Fadz stand outs
Started with some intensity and crowd responded. Far better atmosphere overall
ps funny to hear all these top quality footballers giving Vik finishing advice on CWR
Needs to hold R1 to dink it over the keeper. Everyone knows that. Amateur.
Right ball ache buddyWhy did you want to go back to the Ricoh? Couldn’t you have just stayed there?
I got caught up in that too. No warning before you were forced to go back onto the M6. What a balls ache
Hamer was blowing from about 60 mins. Was watching on sky yesterday and they zoomed into him a couple of times bent over trying to get his breath back
