JAMES Bailey admits he still doesn't know if today's game at Stevenage will be his last for Coventry City.
The on-loan Derby County midfielder is desperate for the match to go ahead after days of heavy rain put paid to half of the weekend's League One programme due to waterlogged pitches, including Boro's clash at Brentford.
“It would be a shame if it's off because I want to play at least another game for the club, and because we want to continue our unbeaten run and keep the momentum going,“ said the 24-year-old who has only missed one league match since joining the Sky Blues in September.
“I still don't really know what's happening. I think Coventry and Derby are in talks but I don't know what the deal is * hopefully something can be agreed because if not it looks as if I will be going back to Derby after the game and it will maybe get sorted after that.
“All I want to do is play football. I am happy here; it's a great bunch of lads and we're moving up the league with the fans behind us now and I'm enjoying my football. We want to have a really good Christmas in terms of points because with games coming thick and fast, one day you can be in the bottom half and before you know it you can be in contention for the play-offs.“
Bailey enhanced his impressive spell at the Ricoh Arena when he scored his first goal for the club, and only second of his career, against Preston on Saturday.
But the more defence-minded midfielder revealed: “The last time I scored was against QPR for Derby more than two years ago and that was the only goal I had scored, so I have got two now, so don't be expecting any more any time soon.
“That was back in my first season in my third or fourth game and I think Derby fans thought I was going to get a few for them but it wasn't the case.“
Re-living his precision finish at the weekend when he was teed up by Gary McSheffrey, he said: “I saw him have a little look up so I held my run and sat there and thankfully he picked me out perfectly and I just knew I had to keep my head down and I hit it through the lad's legs and past the keeper.
“I think we let our foot off the gas a little bit after that and didn't pressurise them as much as we should, and gave them too much time on the ball.
“The pressure was building and it did almost feel that they were going to score and it was a poor one to give away when it came. But, as a team, if we want to get to the top of the league we've got to deal with that and see games out.
So that's something we'll have to work on.
“It was a good point in the end, although we're disappointed whenever we get a point these days because we go out there expecting to get a win.
“But we have to look at the plus side which was another unbeaten game and we have to turn our attention to Stevenage and try to pick three points up there.“
Whether he will still be turning out for Coventry when Preston return to the ricoh in a fortnight remains to be seen, but there's no doubting Bailey's feeling on the matter.
“I'd love to still be here when Preston come back in the JPT,“ he said. “I want to play as many games as I can.“
The on-loan Derby County midfielder is desperate for the match to go ahead after days of heavy rain put paid to half of the weekend's League One programme due to waterlogged pitches, including Boro's clash at Brentford.
“It would be a shame if it's off because I want to play at least another game for the club, and because we want to continue our unbeaten run and keep the momentum going,“ said the 24-year-old who has only missed one league match since joining the Sky Blues in September.
“I still don't really know what's happening. I think Coventry and Derby are in talks but I don't know what the deal is * hopefully something can be agreed because if not it looks as if I will be going back to Derby after the game and it will maybe get sorted after that.
“All I want to do is play football. I am happy here; it's a great bunch of lads and we're moving up the league with the fans behind us now and I'm enjoying my football. We want to have a really good Christmas in terms of points because with games coming thick and fast, one day you can be in the bottom half and before you know it you can be in contention for the play-offs.“
Bailey enhanced his impressive spell at the Ricoh Arena when he scored his first goal for the club, and only second of his career, against Preston on Saturday.
But the more defence-minded midfielder revealed: “The last time I scored was against QPR for Derby more than two years ago and that was the only goal I had scored, so I have got two now, so don't be expecting any more any time soon.
“That was back in my first season in my third or fourth game and I think Derby fans thought I was going to get a few for them but it wasn't the case.“
Re-living his precision finish at the weekend when he was teed up by Gary McSheffrey, he said: “I saw him have a little look up so I held my run and sat there and thankfully he picked me out perfectly and I just knew I had to keep my head down and I hit it through the lad's legs and past the keeper.
“I think we let our foot off the gas a little bit after that and didn't pressurise them as much as we should, and gave them too much time on the ball.
“The pressure was building and it did almost feel that they were going to score and it was a poor one to give away when it came. But, as a team, if we want to get to the top of the league we've got to deal with that and see games out.
So that's something we'll have to work on.
“It was a good point in the end, although we're disappointed whenever we get a point these days because we go out there expecting to get a win.
“But we have to look at the plus side which was another unbeaten game and we have to turn our attention to Stevenage and try to pick three points up there.“
Whether he will still be turning out for Coventry when Preston return to the ricoh in a fortnight remains to be seen, but there's no doubting Bailey's feeling on the matter.
“I'd love to still be here when Preston come back in the JPT,“ he said. “I want to play as many games as I can.“
