‘Know their weaknesses’ – Mark Robins fires Coventry City warning ahead of return with Stoke City

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Mark Robins returns to the CBS Arena for the first time this weekend, with his Stoke City side looking for points for an entirely different reason to his former Coventry City side.

Robins was appointed manager of the Sky Blues almost eight years ago, where he would go on to lift the club from League Two to within a penalty shoot-out of promotion to the Premier League, as well as reaching the FA Cup semi-final against Man United last season.

In many ways, it’s going to be an unusual afternoon for all concerned when Robins makes his first return in the lunchtime kick-off. It will be Robins’ first match as an opposition manager against Coventry since beating them 1-0 with Scunthorpe United back in September 2015.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
17	PortsmouthPortsmouth	35	10	9	16	43	57	-14	39
18	Oxford UnitedOxford United	35	9	11	15	36	52	-16	38
19	Hull CityHull City	35	9	9	17	35	44	-9	36
20	Stoke CityStoke City	35	8	12	15	34	47	-13	36
21	CardiffCardiff	35	8	12	15	38	57	-19	36
22	LutonLuton	35	8	7	20	32	55	-23	31
23	PlymouthPlymouth	35	6	12	17	36	70	-34	30

The high-flying Sky Blues fans never had a chance to say their thank you’s and goodbyes after he was sacked by Doug King in November for not getting more out of the group of players his Stoke City side will be trying to beat to survive the drop into League One.

Lampard has done something Robins never could after breaking Coventry curses during a recent home win against Preston as well. It appears to have been the right decision from King thus far.

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Mark Robins fires Coventry City warning ahead of Stoke City clash

The legendary Sky Blues boss is set to receive a warm reception from the Coventry faithful in thanks and appreciation for a wonderful seven-and-a-half years under his guidance. However, it is business as usual with Robins.

Mark Robins has spoken in his pre-match press conference about his first return to Coventry via Stoke on Trent Live: “It’s not about me, it’s about the players. If people want to make it about me, that’s up to them.

“I spent a lot of time there and I had a brilliant time there, the best time in my managerial career without a doubt and the support was absolutely brilliant. What’s gone has gone. From my point of view. Honestly, I’m really proud of what we all achieved there.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	35	22	10	3	72	22	50	76
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	35	23	6	6	50	27	23	73
3	BurnleyBurnley	35	19	14	2	45	10	35	71
4	SunderlandSunderland	35	18	11	6	52	32	20	65
5	CoventryCoventry	35	15	8	12	49	44	5	53
6	West BromWest Brom	35	12	16	7	45	32	13	52
7	Bristol CityBristol City	35	13	13	9	45	38	7	52
8	BlackburnBlackburn	35	15	7	13	40	35	5	52
9	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	35	14	8	13	55	46	9	50

He added: “We’ve done some work on them this week and there are clear changes. I know they’ve got good players there but I also know their weaknesses so if we can exploit the areas we can hurt them, then brilliant – but we’ve got to do that.

“It’s the same as any other game, we’ve got to work and earn the right to do that. It’ll be nice to go back but I’m taking my team to Coventry to try to earn three points. They’re on a really good run.

“They’ve had some brilliant results, they’ve done fantastically well and there is no taking away from what Frank Lampard has done there. The data suggested when I left that this was likely to happen. It’s there for everyone to see.

“There were times in the first part of the season when it didn’t go quite right, didn’t fall this side, and at the moment they’re playing in a slightly different way. They’re getting some fortune but they’re also playing some good football with good players.

“That’s them, and we need to try to capitalise on what we can do and build on a performance last week that we can look at and see some really good elements in.”

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Mark Robins will hope to cause an upset against Coventry and Frank Lampard

That group of players Robins assembled, of course, has shot up the table since his departure. But he is right to suggest that he is better placed than most opposition managers to come up with a game plan to stop them.

He knows each and every one their strengths and weaknesses to the most minute detail. However, it’s easier said than done to stop a side who have won eight of their last nine Championship games.

Whatever happens on Saturday, he can look back on a special relationship with Coventry supporters – and he knows building that again is possible with the Potters in his latest chapter as a manager.

Frank Lampard, meanwhile, has been breaking records during Coventry’s win over Oxford, and continues to go from strength to strength at the CBS Arena.