Match Report: Coventry City 2-0 Birmingham City

A Callum O'Hare brace made it six defeats in nine for Birmingham City and Wayne Rooney.

Wayne Rooney and Birmingham City succumbed to a sixth defeat in nine Championship matches at Coventry City.

Callum O'Hare was the difference maker, scoring either side of the break to punish another lacklustre display from the visitors.

Rooney was unable to field Ethan Laird, Cody Drameh or Dion Sanderson due to injury, meaning a first league start of the season for Marc Roberts with Juninho Bacuna filling in at right-back. Jordan James and Lukas Jutkiewicz also returned with Oli Burke the other to drop out.

Blues had the better of the early exchanges with Coventry intent on causing themselves problems by not clearing their lines properly, leading to Krystian Bielik and Bacuna testing Bradley Collins’ handling skills.

Slowly, the Sky Blues dominated proceedings and they has their first big chance when the pacy Milan van Ewijk found O'Hare at the near post to force a point blank stop. Coventry then broke down the other flank through Jake Bidwell and Haji Wright leading to Ben Sheaf having an effort blocked.

The opener came on half hour. O'Hare took a loose ball and found Tatsuhiro Sakamoto who returned the favour, O'Hare unmarked and poking home at the near post.

Blues' best response came via a near-post corner that Lee Buchanan put wide. Immediately at the other end, van Ewijk beat Bielik to finds Ellis Simms at the near post and a half cleared corner led to Jamie Allen firing over.

The second half started as the first ended with Coventry in control. O'Hare drove forward but shanked wide before Siriki Dembele was booked for diving after one of his more positive runs of the evening. Wright found to generate power from van Ewijk's back post delivery.

Roberts did flick a near post corner into the hands of Bradley Collins and James was wayward with an attempt from distance. It didn't take long until Ruddy was tested again, Wright played in behind Bacuna and stinging Ruddy's palms.

Ruddy was on hand to deny van Ewijk and Sakamoto but was powerless to deny O'Hare his second. Van Ewijk was again involved, driving down the right and though his low ball into the area evaded Simms and Wright, O'Hare was quick to control, take a number of touches then fire into the net.

The second, plus a couple of late substitutions did at least see Blues relax and play a little more. Recently turned professional Romelle Donovan set up Oli Burke for a strong drive and he tested Collins himself with a wicked effort.

There was time for one break before the whistle, Wright unable to finish after being found by Allen. Fortunately for the American, his team-mate had stepped up and his side were worthy winners.


Lineups

Coventry

Collins; Van Ewijk Thomas Kitching Bidwell; O'Hare Sheaf Allen; Sakamoto Simms Wright. Unused: Wilson; Binks McFadzean Latibeaudiere Dasilva Kelly Ayari Palmer Eccles.

Blues

Ruddy; Bacuna Aiwu Roberts Buchanan; Miyoshi (Burke 70) JJ Bielik (Sunjic 84) Dembele; Stansfield (Hogan 70) Jutkiewicz (Donovan 84). Unused: Etheridge; Oakley Longelo Gardner Khela.


Tactics

This wasn't easy to get a grip on. One side knew what they were doing. The other... It was all a bit ad-hoc.

The first notable aspect of Coventry's game was that Callum O'Hare had been tasked with releasing himself from midfield to go and close John Ruddy. Force him to play quicker, which he has struggled with recently amid a lack of options and requests not to go long needlessly.

Blues would generally go long from goal kicks. The aim was for Jutkiewicz, naturally, with Stansfield and Dembele nearby. Coventry played 4-1-3-2 with this, Ben Sheaf sitting in front of the back four, giving them a 5v4 in defensive areas for seconds, with Allen pushed on and O'Hare joining Simms up top.

Blues tried to play from the back and would often do so through Aiwu and Buchanan on the left, and later Dembele. However, this is what Coventry planned for with Van Ewijk and Sakamoto aggressive while Allen often scurried across to support so they could crowd out Blues play and go.

Otherwise, Blues were uncomfortable in possession. The forward pass to the strikers often ended with Coventry winning possession due to an inability to hold up the ball or find a pass. The midfield regularly had to take several touches, unsure of where their next pass would go. Nothing flowed.

Contrast that with Coventry who, after a difficult opening period, looked at ease in their game plan.

They started in a 4-2-3-1 with Allen and Sheaf showing while the back four lined up as standard, if a little narrow, and Wright and Sakamoto held the touchline. Everything was a little slow and Blues were happy for Coventry to play centrally. Width was the key.

There was a notable first half shift that saw change. Kitching started pulling wider in deep possession with Sheaf stepping between he and Thomas. Van Ewijk would still show at right-back but Bidwell held the touchline in the same way Sakamoto did on the other flank. Wright stepped inside to join Simms with Allen and O'Hare floating between the gaps in Blues' banks of four.

Much of their short sharp play came down the right and they made Blues do running they didn't want to. Sakamoto would be fed the ball and have Van Ewijk or O'Hare supporting with forward runs from deep, taking Stansfield/Dembele or Bielik with them, depending on the individual. When they made the final third, it was about where the space was, choosing to play short and sharp until space opened or taking advantage of spare vacated.

They did utilise the left, however, unafraid to play the ball wide where Bidwell could play first time, attracting Bacuna and playing to Wright, who would generally fancy his chances against Roberts or James depending on which move he made.

Blues continued to line in banks of four and didn't react to the change. While this worked early doors with Blues effectively able to go man for man and block the centre of the pitch, the change meant that Blues were pulled apart and more space opened up for Coventry to play around or through Blues.

Blues did make a slight switch second half. Stansfield returned to the attack, Dembele wide and Buchanan was tasked with stepping inside. However, a lack of options or speed in Blues' play mare it easier to crowd out both players.


Conclusions

Pfft. What else can you say?

That was Wayne Rooney's ninth match in charge. In that time we've won one, lost six, scored eight, conceded eighteen and picked up five points.

And you could almost stomach it if you were seeing something worth getting excited about. Instead, we look devoid of confidence and devoid of a plan. We didn't really look like scoring and looked far too easy to play through. We didn't react to tactical changes and the work rate was missing. It was abysmal. And fans paid £37 to watch it.

Everything about the football club is going in the right direction right now, except the bit that matters most to fans who pay their hard-earned money each week. And everybody involved is to blame.

The board had every right to make a change in the dugout but the timing and management of the decision has proven awful. And the worst thing is that the majority of the fanbase saw it coming, no matter how much they wanted to get behind it.

Still, Rooney has come in with two managerial jobs under his belt, flanked by four coaches with decent pedigree and the requisite qualifications yet we look like a team without a plan and the players look as though the confidence has been drained out of them. All Rooney has done with post-match comments is cause rifts between all parties at a time when unity is so important.

But the players can't get away from the fact they're way below par. Bielik was picked out on Sky for his lack of desire but they could easily have clipped five or six others. Decision making is poor. Players aren't taking responsibility.

Even fans who have gone all-in on supporting the managerial change and believing it will be a success are now questioning what they are seeing and you fear for the reaction at St.Andrews next Saturday if we lose in midweek and then watch league leaders Leicester City toy with us, like they do most others.

Where we go from here is what my next long read is focusing on and I'm hoping to have that out sometime next week if possible.

For now, we dust ourselves off and hope for the best at Cardiff City. I don't think many fans have high hopes at all.