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Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Anyone know anything about Neil Moxley, is he a sky blues fan?

Thorn sacking is one of many strange decisions by Coventry
By NEIL MOXLEY
PUBLISHED: 11:06, 30 August 2012 | UPDATED: 11:12, 30 August 2012

There have been some strange decisions at Coventry City over the years.
Selling Highfield Road might have been one. Sacking Eric Black certainly fell into that category.
Current owners SISU handing over their cash to Ray Ranson? Ouch.

Dismissed: Andy Thorn was axed by Coventry after three league draws

And so it was with a resigned air of acceptance that it was business as unusual when news broke on Sunday lunchtime that Andy Thorn had been sacked.
Yes, after an unbeaten start to the season with his heavily-changed squad.
I accept that it must have been gut-wrenching to see a two-goal lead slip away at the Ricoh against Bury, just 24 hours before that decision was made.
Just as I accept it must have been galling to see a hatful of chances go begging at Yeovil.
And I know also that the performance - as admitted on Radio Five afterwards by goalscorer Kevin Kilbane - wasn't up to scratch against Dagenham and Redbridge.
But the good news is that the Sky Blues progressed in the Capital One Cup. And were able to beat Birmingham City on Tuesday night.
Five matches with the same players and undefeated to boot.
At a time when managers, we are told, are accountable through results, Thorn was in credit this season.
The players have been put through their paces in pre-season. Systems have been worked upon.
And with the sacking, all of that goes out of the window.
When Coventry City end their due diligence on their prospective manager, they are likely to have to adapt to the new guy's method of working. He may want to bring in his new players.
Another period of transition and change.
Now, I have no particular support for Thorn. He had a difficult job last year but I'm not convinced that relegation was a natural consequence for Coventry City when the campaign kicked off 12 months ago.
Thorn's record over 57 games was poor. Did it change that much over 60?
However, my problem is this: If you are going to back him during the close-season and allow him to bring in his own players, then surely he needs more than 270 minutes to put his plans into operation?
At this point, I know there will be supporters pointing to Bryan Gunn's sacking at Norwich City and Paul Lambert's subsequent appointment.

New squad: Thorn had several new players to manage
But the Canaries actually had played two matches - winning at Yeovil and then drawing at Exeter before the Scot's arrival was confirmed. Who knows what might have happened had Gunn stayed? And, ergo, had Thorn.
Off-the-field Tim Fisher, Coventry City's de facto chief executive, appears to be heading in the right direction. Negotiations with various parties over the rent, Ricoh Arena ownership issue and the city council are on-going.
But he needs to be mindful of the fact that of the 'big' clubs who have dropped into League One, only Leicester City have made it out at the first time of asking. Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Charlton Athletic, the two Sheffield clubs - none of those jumped straight back into the Championship.
It is not an easy league to escape.
In fairness, Fisher suggested there were 'other factors' in the statement which followed Thorn's. One day, when the legalities have no doubt been sorted out, we might find the truth.
And, I suppose the point is this: If Coventry do end in the top six - as was the stated aim at the start of the season - then the board's decision will be vindicated.
If not, supporters will point to Thorn's sacking and ask why he wasn't given time.
As possibly we all expected prior to last Sunday's announcement, results will determine all come May next year.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ing-strange--The-Midlander.html#ixzz2HKrvw7MJ
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

He seems to have been proven as being pretty inaccurate. :whistle:
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Do you know anything about I have never heard if him.

He seems to have a lot of knowledge on cov.

Would be nice if there is a national sports journalist out there who is a cov fan.

I think his wife is a cov fan, not sure about him though.
 

dongonzalos

Well-Known Member
Coventry can begin to paint rosy future with morale-boo
By NEIL MOXLEY
PUBLISHED: 16:31, 19 October 2012 | UPDATED: 16:53, 19 October 2012
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News that Coventry City have been installed as second favourites to lift the Johnstone's Paint Trophy probably passed by without too much notice.

It would have been greeted by stifled guffaws in some quarters - mainly those with Leicestershire postcodes, it must be said, but nevertheless here is a pot that the Sky Blues clearly have a decent chance of lifting.

I realise that last sentence sounds patronising. But it wasn't written to sound as such. Hear me out.


Wembley run: Robins will be hoping to use the cup as a springboard for success

More from Neil Moxley...



Standing in the way of an area semi-final in early December are Sheffield United. Not the easiest of ties, but at least it's at the Ricoh Arena.

Now, while new boss Mark Robins may have more pressing concerned than the Blades' visit, I would hope he recognises the value of a decent run in the competition.

For years, Coventry City supporters have had nothing by way of excitement to cheer about.

It has been one slog of a campaign after another. Players sold off to meet mounting debts. One failed adventure after another.

What was it that Paul Fletcher attempted? Operation Premier League?
I can't remember. There have been so many changes of manager. So many issues, anxieties, problems. So many different negatives.

At last, here is an opportunity for the club to give itself a major boost. A trip to Wembley, dust off the pictures from '87 and all that.

Some younger readers won't recall the Sherpa Van Trophy. Or the Leyland Daf Trophy either, for that matter.

But they had a hugely positive effect on both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City two decades ago.


In the doldrums: The Sky Blues are desperate for a change in fortunes
They were the forerunners of today's Johnstone's Paint Trophy. A cup to be contested by those teams in Division Three and Four (as was).

At the time when both of those west Midlands' sides went to Wembley, they had seen better days. Far better days.

Wolves were recovering from the depths of despair. A broken club until Graham Turner's shrewdness in the transfer market allowed a pair of strikers called Andy Mutch and Steve Bull to revitalise a club on its knees.

Over at St Andrew's, Lou Macari was attempting to do likewise with another club that was slipping in and out of playing consciousness. John Gayle was the unlikely hero on a great day out for around 50,000 Bluenoses at Wembley.


Glory days: A trip to Wembley would bring golden memories flooding back

Both of those teams are regarded with fondness by their respective supporters, basically because winning that competition put some much-needed pride back into the club.

It's no fun, slipping into the third (and fourth) tier of English football.

Particularly for Coventry City's supporters who have had nothing, absolutely nothing, to celebrate of note since that day at Villa Park when their Premier League status was lost.

So I hope whatever Mark Robins does - and I'm convinced the Sky Blues have finally sourced a good, capable manager - I hope he doesn't regard this competition as in any way inferior to the league campaign.

He has plenty of time to mount a charge back into the Championship.

He would do well to give the Johnstone's Paint Trophy his fullest attention. It could be a happy first step back towards giving the club a much-needed shred of self-respect.

Grounds for praise

If you shout repeatedly at a child, it will end up ignoring you. Worse still, disliking you.

If you criticise and do nothing else to a football club, it will accuse you of highlighting negative stories and never the positive.

So, it's time to dish out some praise.
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
Pretty much every now agrees it was right to ask Thorn, the thing they did wrong was dally about getting a replacement in. Having said that had they rushed the decision and brought someone in who hadn't had the impact Robins has had we'd be slamming them for rushing the appointment.
Yes, it has worked out for the better but it was very badly done, the whole handling of it has probably cost us promotion this season.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Yes, it has worked out for the better but it was very badly done, the whole handling of it has probably cost us promotion this season.

We could've made a knee jerk appointment, Dennis Wise, fans' choice and he applied, they could've played it safe, who knows, Wise could've been terrible! They took their time and got the right man, fair play!
 

dongonzalos

Well-Known Member
Only because we should have done it far sooner

Yes, if you have any inkling that you are going to judge someone over 3 games.

You do not allow them to sign 9/10 players crazy stuff.

If you are going to do that then yes sack them before.

Do not take the chance of letting them make those signings if you are going to contemplate sacking someone that quickly.
 

dongonzalos

Well-Known Member
We could've made a knee jerk appointment, Dennis Wise, fans' choice and he applied, they could've played it safe, who knows, Wise could've been terrible! They took their time and got the right man, fair play!

No they took their time and tried to get their man instead :)
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
We could've made a knee jerk appointment, Dennis Wise, fans' choice and he applied, they could've played it safe, who knows, Wise could've been terrible! They took their time and got the right man, fair play!
Should have been dealt with in the summer if they didn't think Thorn was the right man, when we weren't pissing away league points down the drain every week
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Should have been dealt with in the summer if they didn't think Thorn was the right man, when we weren't pissing away league points down the drain every week

As I've said before, AT made promises to keep his job, but it soon became clear he weren't keeping his promises, so they sacked him. I could understand why they kept him on tbf.

In FM terms, when we got relegated, he kept his job, but he was in a 'very insecure' position. A 2-2 draw, from being 2-0 up, isn't the best way to convict the board you're the right man!
 

dongonzalos

Well-Known Member
As I've said before, AT made promises to keep his job, but it soon became clear he weren't keeping his promises, so they sacked him. I could understand why they kept him on tbf.

In FM terms, when we got relegated, he kept his job, but he was in a 'very insecure' position. A 2-2 draw, from being 2-0 up, isn't the best way to convict the board you're the right man!

If you are prepared to sack a bloke after 3 draws, you really did not have full faith in him. And probably serious doubts if they are confirmed enough by 3 draws to sack him.

If that is the case you do it in the summer the new man signs his own players.
You also don't suffer 5 defeats on the trot whilst finding the new man. That IMO may cost you promotion.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
If you are prepared to sack a bloke after 3 draws, you really did not have full faith in him. And probably serious doubts if they are confirmed enough by 3 draws to sack him.

If that is the case you do it in the summer the new man signs his own players.
You also don't suffer 5 defeats on the trot whilst finding the new man. That IMO may cost you promotion.

But Shaw should've been able to get results during that period!

Again, AT made promises, which he didn't keep, and the board thinking back, knew they didn't back him the season just gone, backed him this season, thats probably why we only paid for 1 player, he didn't keep his promises, so he got sacked. Right thing to do IMO.
 

georgehudson

Well-Known Member
i think we ought to evaluate the merits of the 'board',
& of course, their in depth knowledge of football,
or maybe joy would like to comment on her appointments,
? fit & proper owners ?
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
i think we ought to evaluate the merits of the 'board',
& of course, their in depth knowledge of football,
or maybe joy would like to comment on her appointments,
? fit & proper owners ?

Never hiding our agenda here...

Thorn was the right man to appoint at the time, did well, fans' choice etc. even wanted by unnamed clubs apparently.

He didn't get backed, he was going to get sack, saved his job by making promises, got backed in the window, he failed, board act before the window closes so new guy can bring in is own players.
 

georgehudson

Well-Known Member
there's the rub sb-t,
my only agenda is for CCFC to go onwards & upwards,
managerial appointments were made by an ad hoc group who have since been moved on,
being acutely aware of successive shortcomings over a ridiculous period of time,
we're in the present, with owners who care not for CCFC,
but i & thousands do,
PUSB
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
What did they learn about the manager in those last 3 games which they didn't know already? The club cocked it up, simples.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
If you are prepared to sack a bloke after 3 draws, you really did not have full faith in him. And probably serious doubts if they are confirmed enough by 3 draws to sack him.

If that is the case you do it in the summer the new man signs his own players.
You also don't suffer 5 defeats on the trot whilst finding the new man. That IMO may cost you promotion.

He was almost certainly moved on because of other factors than just results and it beggars belief that fisher got taken in that those areas would see any improvement.
 

mark82

Super Moderator
But Shaw should've been able to get results during that period!

Again, AT made promises, which he didn't keep, and the board thinking back, knew they didn't back him the season just gone, backed him this season, thats probably why we only paid for 1 player, he didn't keep his promises, so he got sacked. Right thing to do IMO.

And Shaw paid the price for the defeats as he lost his job.
 

dongonzalos

Well-Known Member
He was almost certainly moved on because of other factors than just results and it beggars belief that fisher got taken in that those areas would see any improvement.

Do you think though. That if that is true. That TF would allow AT to come out and attack him in the media afterwards.
TF knows how to use the media
A lot of the country were looking at Coventry and making comments about what a joke it is to sack a manager after three games of a new season who has just signed 9/10
Players.
TF would surely have known that leaking it to the press about what AT has been up to.
Even as an unnamed source would have justified the sacking straight away.
Surely a player who was not getting played with a grudge Deegan or Mcpake for example would have leaked it once they went.

At the moment as far as I am aware we have Harry saying I have spoke to someone. The training was slack.

Now it is a fact that it was of field matters
 

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