SKIPPER HAS FAITH IN COACHES
KEVIN Kilbane believes Coventry City are in safe hands with Richard Shaw and Lee Carsley at the helm.
As the search continues for the club's 11th manager in 11 years, the Sky Blues skipper feels the current caretaker team ­ which also includes FA Cup legend Steve Ogrizovic ­ would provide continuity as the squad's nine summer signings gel to hopefully form a promotion-winning team.
Asked if the current incumbents should be given the job on a full-time basis, the experienced Irish international said: “The only thing you think about is from a stability point of view you would say, yes of course, but it's not our decision. Players are always being asked about managers but you have to respect who is in charge.
“Everyone respects Richard, Lee and Steve. We have got real top professionals and characters looking after the club and we're certainly in safe hands right now.
“I think everyone has got total respect for them, as we did for Andy Thorn. But he's not here now and we have to move on. I have the utmost respect for him but as a player you can't dwell on the past.“
The timing of the sacking clearly came as a shock to the players but Kilbane is keen that the team continue to focus on the next game.
“What goes on at board room level can't affect you as players,“ he said reflecting on a difficult few days.
“We know the personnel has changed at the top ­ the manager has gone ­ and we are all disappointed with that but I think now we have to move forward and we began that with a good response from everyone against Birmingham.
“I think it does come into the mindset but if you get too caught up in what's going on you can end up being undone. We went a goal down against Birmingham but I think we showed a bit of character to come back rather than crumble.
“I really felt that we were excellent in the first half against Bury. We were dominant and I really enjoyed the half when we didn't look like we were going to concede and then, all of a sudden, we conceded a soft penalty and it was backs against the wall.
“We have had moments this season where we could have picked up more points than we have but the board make the decisions at the end of the day. It's their club and we just have to focus on what we do on the pitch and whoever comes in we have to go out and do our best for them. “You need a bit of luck in football and sometimes you can be in top form and lose and sometimes you play badly and grind out a win.“
One can only assume that had City performed the way they did in the second half and extra-time against Blues on Saturday when they gave up a two-goal lead, Thorn would still be in a job.
And the man who inspired Tuesday night's fight-back by setting up Cody McDonald and scoring himself believes there is one big difference in the space of a few days.
“I think we looked strong throughout against Birmingham when we passed the ball really well and I think it echoed the first half against Bury,“ he said.
“I don't know what happened in the second half on Saturday when I think we all accept that we were very poor.
“When we got the goal in extratime it was a test of character but I think we held on without giving chances away, which is the most important thing we have spoken about at times. The way it went on Saturday at 2-0 up, at the end of the day if you win a game 2-0 you don't have to go chasing the game and get more goals but I think against Bury we thought we could go and get three, four or five and I suppose that was a disservice to Bury because they came back very strongly.
“So against Birmingham we knew we had to defend as a team and I think we were excellent and we are very, very pleased with the way we went about things because we didn't chase the game and didn't need to get another goal because we were quite happy to see it through. It was an entertaining game as it was but we didn't need to get that fourth or fifth goal. We were quite happy to defend it, sit tight against a good team. “We know that Tuesday night was a good performance but we have to draw a line under it and go again on Saturday against Crewe.“
KEVIN Kilbane believes Coventry City are in safe hands with Richard Shaw and Lee Carsley at the helm.
As the search continues for the club's 11th manager in 11 years, the Sky Blues skipper feels the current caretaker team ­ which also includes FA Cup legend Steve Ogrizovic ­ would provide continuity as the squad's nine summer signings gel to hopefully form a promotion-winning team.
Asked if the current incumbents should be given the job on a full-time basis, the experienced Irish international said: “The only thing you think about is from a stability point of view you would say, yes of course, but it's not our decision. Players are always being asked about managers but you have to respect who is in charge.
“Everyone respects Richard, Lee and Steve. We have got real top professionals and characters looking after the club and we're certainly in safe hands right now.
“I think everyone has got total respect for them, as we did for Andy Thorn. But he's not here now and we have to move on. I have the utmost respect for him but as a player you can't dwell on the past.“
The timing of the sacking clearly came as a shock to the players but Kilbane is keen that the team continue to focus on the next game.
“What goes on at board room level can't affect you as players,“ he said reflecting on a difficult few days.
“We know the personnel has changed at the top ­ the manager has gone ­ and we are all disappointed with that but I think now we have to move forward and we began that with a good response from everyone against Birmingham.
“I think it does come into the mindset but if you get too caught up in what's going on you can end up being undone. We went a goal down against Birmingham but I think we showed a bit of character to come back rather than crumble.
“I really felt that we were excellent in the first half against Bury. We were dominant and I really enjoyed the half when we didn't look like we were going to concede and then, all of a sudden, we conceded a soft penalty and it was backs against the wall.
“We have had moments this season where we could have picked up more points than we have but the board make the decisions at the end of the day. It's their club and we just have to focus on what we do on the pitch and whoever comes in we have to go out and do our best for them. “You need a bit of luck in football and sometimes you can be in top form and lose and sometimes you play badly and grind out a win.“
One can only assume that had City performed the way they did in the second half and extra-time against Blues on Saturday when they gave up a two-goal lead, Thorn would still be in a job.
And the man who inspired Tuesday night's fight-back by setting up Cody McDonald and scoring himself believes there is one big difference in the space of a few days.
“I think we looked strong throughout against Birmingham when we passed the ball really well and I think it echoed the first half against Bury,“ he said.
“I don't know what happened in the second half on Saturday when I think we all accept that we were very poor.
“When we got the goal in extratime it was a test of character but I think we held on without giving chances away, which is the most important thing we have spoken about at times. The way it went on Saturday at 2-0 up, at the end of the day if you win a game 2-0 you don't have to go chasing the game and get more goals but I think against Bury we thought we could go and get three, four or five and I suppose that was a disservice to Bury because they came back very strongly.
“So against Birmingham we knew we had to defend as a team and I think we were excellent and we are very, very pleased with the way we went about things because we didn't chase the game and didn't need to get another goal because we were quite happy to see it through. It was an entertaining game as it was but we didn't need to get that fourth or fifth goal. We were quite happy to defend it, sit tight against a good team. “We know that Tuesday night was a good performance but we have to draw a line under it and go again on Saturday against Crewe.“
