Murphy, Wood, Cranie, McShefry, Bell, Clingan, Platt, Keogh, - non of these are "kids" - so to come out and blame inexperience is just bollox, I'm sorry. It's the MANAGER who is inexperienced! Likeable man, players love him cos he's one of the lads, got the the team playing pretty football BUT his inexperience is proving itself now. Tactically he is not just up to it -- so stop blaming the kids , there's a lot of experience in the team who are more than capable of getting better results. Have I missed any one out ?
Only Murphey, Keogh and Clingan out of that lot have actually started all 14 league games, Bell (12) and Cranie (10) have also started most of the games this season, however the other 3 have hardly featured - McSheffrey (7 starts - inc 1 lasting 17 mins), Wood (3) and Platt (2)
Also bare in mind that 3 of the more 'experienced' midfielders have only managed to start 16 games between them (Baker, McSheffrey and Deegan) especially as Thomas and Bigirimana have started 15 between them.
Add to that that Christie has started 12 and made substitute appearances in the other 2 league games, Hussey has started all 14 league games (he's previously only made 10 starts since his step up from non-league, and add to that ever present Juke is in only his second season at this level.
If you class Christie, Hussey, Thomas, Bigirimana and Cameron (22 starts last season) as very inexperienced players then we have had to play at least 3 of them in every single league match this season. Has a Coventry manager ever had to do that before in our history?
The other thing that hasn't helped this season is our inability to put out the same starting line for more than two consecutive league games, whether it's due to suspensions, injury, fitness problems and form. four times we have names the same starting line up in consecutive match's but not managed to extend it beyond that. I suppose it make's it difficult when your continually having to change the team and play different positions. How can you get a team to gel into a system when you can't put the same team out more than two games running
In 14 league games We've had 4 different starting striking partnerships Juke n McSheffrey, Juke and ROD, Juke and McDonald and Juke and Platt,
We've tried 4 players at the tip of the diamond - Baker, Bell, Thomas and Mcsheffrey
We've had 5 different central defensive partnerships Keogh-Cranie, Cranie-Cameron, Keogh-Wood, Keogh-Cameron, Cameron-McPake,
I suspect that Thorn has yet managed to get his strongest team out for a single match let alone a run of 4+ match's