Mark Robins interview: Supervisor of the Month curses, takeover hopes and Coventry’s shiny future | Soccer Information

The Supervisor of the Month curse is a standard and well-known phenomenon. 

Coventry received 4 video games on the bounce in November, resulting in Mark Robins choosing up the award for the Sky Wager Championship.

I spoke to him final Thursday. Naturally, his facet then went on to be defeated on their return to motion on Saturday (sorry, Cov followers!), taking place 1-0 at Studying.

The time we spoke earlier than that, nonetheless, the curse took a really completely different guise to try to derail Coventry’s ambitions.

“The final time I received this award was in February 2020 so the curse of the Supervisor of the Month actually took its toll then!” jokes Robins.

“Having stated that, we nonetheless acquired promoted. So it labored out ultimately.”

At that time, Coventry had received seven out of eight and had been flying excessive on the high of League One. A return to the Championship appeared inevitable till the pandemic curtailed the season.

Happily for Robins and Coventry, the Sky Blues had been nonetheless promoted. It simply ended up being one other bump in what has been a chaotic tenure on the membership – which is now edging in direction of six years. He’s at the moment the sixth longest-serving supervisor in England.

It has at instances appeared like the problems are unending. Earlier this month they had been served an eviction discover from the brand new house owners of the Coventry Constructing Society Enviornment.

For different golf equipment and managers this could be one thing seismic. For Robins it was simply one other day at Coventry Metropolis. Water off a duck’s again.

By way of a sequence of factors deductions, possession points, stadium issues and exiles, a world pandemic and extra, Robins has led the membership to silverware within the EFL Trophy, two promotions after which stabilised them within the Championship.

His secret? Dedicating his focus to what he can management.

“From my perspective it is simply concerning the well being of the gamers and the employees,” he says. “Mentally and bodily. That is the largest problem for anyone.

“You possibly can inform individuals have modified a bit since lockdown. They’re extra anxious and uptight. However the gamers have been magnificent.

“I am immensely pleased with all the things we have carried out and of everybody that has labored right here.

“Issues at all times change over time, personnel and gamers and such, however everybody who has been right here has performed their half from that second.”

It’s regular for a supervisor of a membership to pay tribute to the followers for his or her assist.

However few supporters within the nation have been by greater than these of Coventry Metropolis in recent times. Robins feels it, and he means it.

“The gamers deserve an unlimited quantity of credit score, however we’ve got an unbelievable assist as nicely,” says Robins. “They’re the largest fixed and have been magnificent.

“They allow you to do your job correctly. That can’t be underestimated. They’re a lot behind all the things that will get carried out, and all of the difficulties.

“They have been right here and lived by all the problems of the final 15 years or so. I have been right here practically six years, it has been powerful however the gamers, the employees, the supporters, all of them make it worthwhile.”

In some ways the problems at Coventry are beginning to clear. The membership are on the verge of a takeover from native businessman Doug King, who is about to take the helm from controversial house owners Sisu after 15 years of turmoil and fan protests.

Robins is of course just a little cautious, but in addition tentatively optimistic about what the longer term might maintain.

“We’re nonetheless in a little bit of limbo till the inexperienced mild will get pressed,” he says. “However that must be any time quickly.

“I’ve acquired to attend and see the element of what the brand new possession goes to carry. However you have to be excited that issues can transfer ahead.

“And so long as it is transferring ahead it does not matter if it is taking place slowly. You have to do issues in a methodical, organised option to get to the place you need to get.

“I do additionally need to say that [Sisu boss] Pleasure Seppala has carried out as a lot as she probably can do to assist us get up to now. It’s extremely, very troublesome being the proprietor of a soccer membership in circumstances resembling ours.

“We have miles extra by way of our finances than we had in League One, however we’re nonetheless one of many smaller ones on this division. If we will eke that out just a little bit and provides ourselves a possibility to maintain gamers, but in addition so as to add to that it provides you an opportunity of getting that depth and with the ability to address the subsequent stage.

“It provides us quite a lot of motivation going ahead, and it could give us just a little bit extra by way of with the ability to pad out the squad.”

It’s laborious to argue that any supervisor in England has achieved greater than Robins within the final decade.

The subsequent potential step is the toughest one to make, however with all the things he has carried out to date, you would not guess towards him finishing one of many recreation’s biggest ever comebacks and taking Coventry again to the Premier League.

“We have to purpose for a constant top-10 end after which attempt to get the highest six from there,” he says.

“If we will try this, who is aware of. However that would be the plan for lots of groups, and we want that monetary backing to get there, as a result of prefer it or not that may make the distinction.

“It has been an actual crew effort to get to this stage, however there’s nonetheless a great deal of work to do. With the prospect of recent possession coming in issues are wanting actually thrilling.”

Whisper it quietly. The longer term for Coventry seems shiny.