Stats
summary
2019-20
Two years after
winning promotion from League Two the Sky Blues under the stellar
management of Mark Robins have regained their place in the
Championship after eight years in the lower leagues. Following a
satisfactory eighth place finish in 2018-19 some shrewd recruitment
enabled Mark Robins to tighten his defence, strengthen the midfield,
acquire another seasoned goalscorer and inject some all-round steel
into the squad.
The best league
start since World War Two was personified by thrilling comebacks to
beat Blackpool and Wimbledon and for the nine-men to get a draw at
Portsmouth. The team had a slight wobble in October with successive
defeats to Rotherham and Tranmere but subsequent performances, if not
results convinced many that we had a serious promotion chance. Even a
third loss at Shrewsbury in December didn't put too many doubts in
Sky Blue minds and that loss turned out to be the final one of a
memorable campaign.
Whilst the form on
the road had been good there had been no wins but the Ipswich Cup
replay win started the ball rolling and leaders Wycombe had their
unbeaten home run smashed before another comprehensive victory at
Tranmere. After that it was down to grinding out the results with
seven of the final eight wins coming by a single goal margin and only two points dropped from eight away games. From seventh place after
Shrewsbury the team slowly inched their way to the summit. Three
crucial home games held the key and City emerged from Portsmouth,
Rotherham and Sunderland with seven points that took them to first
place.
We would all have
liked to enjoy winning promotion under more traditional circumstances
and older fans will remember the wild scenes in 1964 and 1967 but no
one can say that Coventry City didn't deserve promotion.
Mark Robins'
acquisitions were outstanding and blended with the 'old guard'
superbly. Admittedly McFadzean and Godden didn't have the best of
starts but by Christmas were recognised as key players. Marosi, Rose
and Dabo all hit the ground running and Allen, once he had recovered
from injury, began to show his class in the run-in. Sadly Jobello got
a serious injury whilst Kastaneer has yet to impress. From the League
Two side, Kelly, Hyam, Biamou and Shipley all improved and played
their part. Sam McCallum had a meteoric rise on a par with Stuart
Pearce in 1983-84 and inevitably had to move to a higher level after
some stunning performances whilst Zain Westbrooke wasn't far behind
in the most improved player category. The recruitment success
extended to loan players an area that has not always served the club
well. Callum O'Hare and Liam Walsh both had exceptional seasons and
rank amongst the best City loanees ever. To put icing on the cake we
saw some exceptional goals from several players, my favourite being
Biamou's in the Birmingham replay the culmination of a world class
move.
The division was a
tough one as evidenced by the log-jam behind City when the season was
halted. Big clubs like Sunderland and Portsmouth had much greater
budgets than City, as did others, yet Robins and his staff put out a
real 'team' that competed week in and week out. There was a great
team spirit, reminiscent of the Jimmy Hill and John Sillett days and
similarly a never-say-die attitude on a par with the teams put out by
those other managerial giants.
Several club records set in past
full seasons were likely to be broken before the 2019-20 season was
ended prematurely including record points, least goals conceded,
least defeats, etc. Where the record was 'broken' or there was a
possibility of it being broken in the 34 matches played they will be
included in the club records with an asterisk to denote the shortened
season.
2019-20 Appearances and goalscorers
|
PLAYER |
LEAGUE |
|
|
FA CUP |
|
|
LEAGUE CUP |
|
|
|
FLT |
|
SEASONS TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
A |
S |
G |
A |
S |
G |
A |
S |
G |
A |
S |
G |
A |
S |
G |
| Marko |
MAROSI |
34 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40 |
0 |
0 |
| Fankaty |
DABO |
32 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
40 |
1 |
0 |
| Michael |
ROSE |
30 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
39 |
1 |
2 |
| Kyle |
McFADZEAN |
28 |
2 |
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
38 |
2 |
0 |
| Dominic |
HYAM |
28 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
36 |
1 |
2 |
| Liam |
KELLY |
25 |
2 |
|
7 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
35 |
2 |
0 |
| Sam |
McCALLUM |
25 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
|
|
33 |
2 |
3 |
| Liam |
WALSH (L) |
25 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
32 |
2 |
4 |
| Jordan |
SHIPLEY |
24 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
32 |
10 |
7 |
| Zain |
WESTBROOKE |
22 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
29 |
4 |
4 |
| Matt |
GODDEN |
22 |
4 |
14 |
2 |
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
25 |
8 |
15 |
| Callum |
O'HARE (L) |
18 |
11 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
23 |
17 |
4 |
| Jordie |
HIWULA |
14 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
|
17 |
1 |
4 |
| Amadou |
BAKAYOKO |
11 |
12 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
17 |
16 |
6 |
| Brandon |
MASON |
10 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
15 |
2 |
0 |
| Wesley |
JOBELLO |
10 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
0 |
1 |
| Jamie |
ALLEN |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
10 |
6 |
1 |
| Maxime |
BIAMOU |
5 |
13 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
10 |
16 |
11 |
| Josh |
ECCLES |
1 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
4 |
|
|
6 |
5 |
0 |
| Gervane |
KASTANEER |
1 |
9 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
5 |
11 |
1 |
| Tennai |
WATSON (L) |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
5 |
2 |
0 |
| Declan |
DRYSDALE |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Ben |
WILSON |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
7 |
0 |
0 |
| Josh |
PASK |
|
2 |
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
| William |
BAPAGA |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
2 |
2 |
0 |
| Charlie |
WAKEFIELD |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Morgan |
WILLIAMS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Dan |
BARTLETT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Jodi |
JONES |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Jack |
BURROUGHS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Ryan |
GILES (L) |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Jordan |
YOUNG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
| goals |
Own |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Games:
Coventry City played 47 competitive games, 34 league, 7 FA Cup, 2
League Cup and 4 Football League Trophy (Leasing.com
Trophy).
Points:
From 34 league games the Sky Blues gathered 67 points – two points
more than 2018-19 but still the third best haul since three points
for a win was introduced in 1981. A new term 'points per game'
entered the football vocabulary because of the curtailed season.
City's PPG was 1.971 and was the highest in the club's League
history, topping 1966-67 when after adjusting for three points the
PPG was 1.952.
Home
Form:
11 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss. An outstanding home record was the
cornerstone to the Sky Blues' season and I'm certain if the season
had been completed the number of victories would have beaten the best
since since 1967 which was 14 in 1986-87. Tranmere wrecked the
unbeaten run with their undeserved 1-0 win but the sole loss equalled
the lowest in a season for the club last achieved in 1967.
Away
Form: 7
wins, 8 draws, 2 losses. Whilst the home form set the foundations of
a successful season it was the away form after Christmas that took
the Sky Blues out of and away from the pack. Despite good away
performances in the first half the team put the turbo chargers on
after Christmas with a staggering seven away wins out of eight.
Three bogeys ended – the first win at Tranmere since 1938, first
win at Bristol Rovers since 1964 and rare victories at Rochdale,
Ipswich and Doncaster. The lowest number of away losses in a season
before this was five (1967 and 1989) and few City fans can think
that this record would have not been broken if the season had been
completed.
Wins:
In total therefore, 18 league victories were recorded – equalling
the third highest in the last 17 seasons despite a shortened season.
Strangely all but four were won by a single goal and all but one of
the 11 home wins by a one goal margin.
Defeats:
City lost only three league games out of 34 in the truncated season.
The lowest number of defeats in a season is six, achieved from 42
Second Division games in 1966-67. We will never know whether Mark
Robins' team would have broken this record but I will record it as a
record with an asterisk to denote the shorter season.
Biggest
win: The biggest league
win of the season was 4-1 achieved in successive away wins at Wycombe
and Tranmere.
Biggest
defeat: The 0-4 defeat at
Rotherham was not only the heaviest league defeat of the season but
the heaviest since April 2013 at Walsall.
Goals
for: Despite
the massive success of the team they weren't prolific scorers and
their total of 48 was only the eighth highest in the division. The
team went three games without scoring in October but from mid
November they scored in every game but one. In total they failed to
score only seven times in 34 games.
Goals
against:
Like previous City promotion teams the success was built on a sound
defence with only 30 goals conceded in 34 games, the best in the
division. Once again the club record of 38 (set in 1970-71) might
well have been broken therefore another asterisk. Marko Marosi kept
fourteen clean sheets in the league and it's highly likely that the
club record of 18 in a season would have been broken.
Final
position: Champions of a
division for only the fourth time in 94 seasons in the Football
League (1936, 1964, 1967 and 2020)
Leading
scorers: Matt
Godden was leading scorer with 15 goals, 14 in the league , and one
in the League Cup. Max Biamou with eleven goals (but only four in the
league) was runner up. Fifteen
different City players were on the score-sheet during the season.
Doubles:
City achieved three doubles- over Bristol Rovers, Rochdale and
Southend (for the second season running). No teams did the double
over City, for the first time since 1977-78. Of the sides that City
played twice only two sides, Rotherham and MK Dons, avoided defeat
against the Sky Blues.
Appearances:
Marko
Marosi was the first City player to be a league ever present since
Joe Murphy in 2013-14. For the ninth season running no outfield
player was an ever
present in the league – the last to do so was Richard Keogh in
2010-11. Fankaty Dabo made 32 starts with Michael Rose on 30 with one
sub appearance. When all competitive games are included Marosi and
Dabo both started 40 with Dabo's one sub appearance giving him the
edge.
Players
used: 26 players were
used in league games (six less than 2018-19 and the lowest number
since the club left the Premiership in 2001) and a further six
appeared only in cup games. Of the 32 players, 18 made their debuts
during the season. Three players only appeared as substitues, Ryan
Giles, Jordan Young and Jack Burroughs. Five loan players were used:
Liam Walsh, Calum O'Hare, Tennai Watson, Ryan Giles and Sam McCallum.
In addition to the 32 players used, four more: David Bremang, Cian
Tyler, Joe Newton and Blaine Rowe sat on the bench as substitutes but
were not used.
Home-grown
players: Of the 32
players only four of them were home grown products of the Academy,
the lowest number for many years. In the Bolton home game in February
no home-grown players were used by the club for the first time in
nine years. Academy product Will Bapaga became the fifth youngest
player to don a City shirt when he came on at Bolton in August aged
16 years, 280 days.
Records:
Only
three of the title-winning squad has played 100 games or more for the
club: Jordan Shipley (120), Liam Kelly (107) and Dominic Hyam (100).
Substitutes:
Callum
O'Hare, the Villa loanee, made
the most substitute appearances (11 in the league). Zain Westbrooke
and Jordan Shipley were the most substituted players (each
substituted 19 times in all comps). Callum O'Hare set a club record
of four goals from the bench in a season. In all ten goals were
scored by substitutes: Kastaneer (Bristol Rovers), O'Hare (at Oxford
& Blackpool), Bakayoko (Doncaster), Biamou (Bolton), Godden
(Portsmouth), O'Hare & Biamou (at Southend), O'Hare (Ipswich
(FAC)) and Bakayoko (Exeter (LC)).This equals the club record set in
2016-17. O'Hare also became only the second City player to score two
goals from the bench before his full debut (Chris Maguire). In the FA
Cup replay with Birmingham the club used four substitutes in a game
for the first time.
Average
attendance: Attendances
were obviously seriously affected by playing in Birmingham. Home
6,653 (2018-19 12,362) the 14th highest in the division, down 46%.
Away 10,292 (2018-19 9,025) , up 14% & the second highest in the
division. If away fans are stripped out, City's average home
following was 5,629 down 49% from 2018-19.
Highest
home attendance: The
biggest league crowd was 10,055 for the last home game before
lockdown v Sunderland. That gate was boosted by the large away
contingent. The previous home game v Rotherham had the highest number
of home supporters (7,877) of any home game. The Sunderland gate was
topped in the FA Cup 'home' game with Birmingham when 21,193
attended, which included 11,728 Coventry fans.
Lowest
home attendance: The
lowest league crowd of the season was 4,673 for the Fleetwood evening
game in October when the innovative half-time substitutions saw the
team's formation change which took the division by storm. In the
EFL Trophy there were two low attendances including 375 for the 'dead
rubber' with Southampton – a record low for a home game in the
competition and the smallest to watch a City competitive home game
since 1900.
Away
followings: For league
games City’s away following averaged 1,876 (2018/19
1,315), an increase of
42%. The best league following of the season was 6,274 at MK Dons. In
the FA Cup City had 4,515 fans at St Andrews for the FA Cup replay
and 3,515 at Watford for the League Cup tie. The smallest was 519 for
the evening game at Fleetwood in February whilst only 340 went to
Forest Green for the EFL Trophy game. For the second season running
Sunderland brought the most fans (3,323) to a home league game but
there were 9,465 Birmingham 'away' fans at the first FA Cup tie. At
the other extreme, Fleetwood brought only 196 fans to the league game
whilst there were only 7 paying Southampton fans at the EFL Trophy
game. The average away following for league games at St
Andrews was 1,024, down 14% on the previous season's 1,201.
Highest
away attendance: The
29,809 who watched City's game at Sunderland in November was easily
the biggest away league crowd more than 10,000 more than the second
highest at Ipswich (18,825).
Lowest
away attendance: The
smallest away league crowd was, for the second season running, at
Fleetwood where 2,506 were present. The EFL trophy game at Forest
Green was watched by 924.
Won
from behind: (5) Five
comebacks in a season is the best since Gordon Milne's team in
1977-78 that did six. At the start of this season the Sky Blues had
not come from behind to win a home league game since April 2016 so
this season's record of four home comebacks is an amazing feat. City
came from behind to beat Blackpool, Wimbledon, Fleetwood and Rochdale
at St Andrews. They also did it at Bristol Rovers. Against Blackpool
the team came from two goals down to win for the first time since
2015-16 (Peterborough). In addition on six occasions the team came
from behind to get a draw. Nineteen points were won from losing
positions.
Lost
from in front: (1) City
only lost three league games and only once (at Shrewsbury) did City
lose from being ahead. On six occasions City took the lead only to
be pegged back for draws and twice lost the lead at Peterborough and
Birmingham (FAC) and threw away a two-goal lead at Oxford to draw
3-3. Thirteen points were lost from leading positions.
Best
run: The Sky Blues best
league run was fourteen unbeaten from mid-December until the end of
the season. Following defeat at Shrewsbury they won eleven games and
drew three. They also recorded five consecutive league victories –
only the second time a Coventry side has achieved that since 1998. 14
is the best league unbeaten run since the Second Division promotion
season in 1966-67. The 10-game unbeaten start to the season was the
second best in the club's history, only five short of the 1937-38
start.
Worst
run: The worst run was
four without a win between home wins over AFC Wimbledon and Fleetwood
in the autumn when losses were suffered to Rotherham and Tranmere and
draws against Doncaster and MK Dons which saw City fall from 1st
place to sixth.
Hat-tricks:
(3) Matt
Godden scored two league hat-tricks (in successive games at Wycombe
and Tranmere) and Max Biamou netted three in the Southampton EFL
Trophy game. Godden was the first City player to score successive
hat-tricks since Darren Huckerby in 1999, the first to achieve the
feat in successive league games since Don Dorman in 1952 and the
first to score three in successive away games since George Hudson in
1963. Biamou is the first City player to score a hat-trick in the EFL
Trophy in the eight seasons that the club have played in the
competition and
is also the first to score a hat trick in a Cup competition since
Gary McSheffrey netted three in a 8-0 home victory over Rushden and
Diamonds in the League Cup in 2002-03.
Opposing
hat-tricks: (0) No
opposing player scored a hat-trick but four scored braces: Kaikai
(Blackpool), Crooks and Smith (Rotherham) and Slattery (Southampton
EFLT)
Former
Players: Only
one former player
scored against City – Jordan Clarke-Harris who netted in both the
league and FA Cup games at the Memorial Stadium, the latter a
penalty.
Own
goals: For City: (1)
Bristol Rovers' Tony Craig was credited with an own goal in the away
FA Cup game. He had previously scored at the other end.
Own
goals: By City: (2)
Fankaty Dabo was credited with two own goals in the 3-3 draw at
Oxford, only the second Coventry Player to score two own goals in a
game, the other being Roy Kirk at Northampton in 1954.
Penalties:
For City: (4) Five awarded, four scored, one missed. Godden scored at Portsmouth, Wycombe and
Tranmere, Westbrooke scored at home to Fleetwood, Hiwula missed at MK
Dons.
Penalties:
Against City: (6) Six
opposition players netted from the spot - Forss (AFC Wimbledon),
Smith (2) (Rotherham), Maddison (Peterborough), Clarke-Harris
(Bristol R FAC), Slattery (Southampton EFLT). Rotherham's
Michael Smith was the first opposition player to score two penalties
against City since Bradford City’s Tony McMahon in the 3-3 draw at
Valley Parade in 2016. One penalty was missed by opponents, Morgan Ferrier at Tranmere.
Fastest
Goal scored: Sam McCallum
scored after 50 seconds v MK Dons (h).
Fastest
Goal conceded: Sullay
Kaikai of Blackpool scored after two minutes at St Andrews in
September.
Red
cards: Coventry: (4):
Fankaty
Dabo and Gervane Kastaneer (both two yellow cards at Portsmouth),
Kyle McFadzean (at Rotherham) and Max Biamou (Accrington h). The
Portsmouth game was the first instance of two red cards since James
Maddison and Adam Barton were sent off at Doncaster in 2014-15.
Red
cards: Opponents: (1) MK
Dons' Brennan Dickenson was sent off in the EFL Trophy game.
FA
Cup: In reaching the
fourth round of the competition the Sky Blues played seven ties in
total – the highest number since 1962-63 season. There were three
successive replayed ties, Ipswich, Bristol Rovers and Birmingham –
only the second time this has happened, the first being in 1974. The
victory at Ipswich was the first away replay win in the competition
since Woking in 1997. Josh Pask became only the second City player to
score a goal on his debut in an FA Cup tie since the club joined the
league in 1919, the other was Dennis Simpson against Aston Villa in
1945. The penalty shoot-out in the replay with Birmingham was the
first in the competition since 1998 when City lost a sixth round
replay to Sheffield United. City have not won an FA Cup tie that went
to extra time since 1987 at Wembley!
League
Cup: The 4-1 victory over
Exeter City in Round One was the biggest win in the competition since
Torquay United were beaten by the same score in 2004. Jordy Hiwula
became the first City player to score two goals in a League Cup game
since Robbie Simpson in 2008 (v Aldershot).
Bookings:
Fankaty Dabo clocked up the most bookings, 10. Kyle McFadzean picked
up nine. The most unusual yellow card went the Kastaneer who was
booked whilst on the bench following the touchline fracas at the
Ipswich home league game.
Television:
There were two live televised games for the club, both at home,
Tranmere and Sunderland .
Captains:
City
had six different captains during the season, Liam Kelly, who was
club captain, Kyle McFadzean, Matt Godden, Jordan Shipley and Michael
Rose all took the armband in league games. Morgan Williams captained
the team in the final EFL Trophy game at MK Dons.In the home game
with Fleetwood three different players wore the armband; Shipley
started as captain but was subbed at half-time by McFadzean, who took
over duties, but twelve minutes into the second half Kelly came on
and took the band.
Awards:
Mark Robins was awarded the League One Manager of the Month for
February and became the first Coventry manager to win three awards.
He had previously won Manager of the Month in December 2012 and
October 2018.
Kits:
The Sky Blue kit proved to be a very lucky one; it was worn in 23
league games and none of them were lost. The yellow change kit was
worn at Rotherham and the Black & White 'two-tone' kit was worn
in the defeats v Tranmere and Shrewsbury.
Ground
Stat: Gillingham
and Tranmere are the only clubs to have played away league games
against Coventry on four different grounds: Highfield Road, Ricoh
Arena, Sixfields and St Andrews.
Game
of the season: There
were many memorable games in this memorable season, the home comeback
to beat Blackpool, the nine-man comeback at Portsmouth, the Cup win
at Ipswich but my vote has to go to the 4-1 victory at Wycombe.
Wycombe were league leaders and unbeaten at home and the Sky Blues
demolished them. It was the day that many City fans realised that
promotion was a strong possibility.
With many
thanks to Paul O'Connor.
Dedicated to
the late Geoff Moore who passed away in March. A wonderful friend who
is missed by all who knew him.
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