Coventry City boss Mark Robins started his big money summer signings Haji Wright and Ellis Simms up front together for the first time against Norwich City.
Sky Blues supporters have been wondering for weeks whether the big man pairing could form an effective partnership and it’s fair to say the jury is still out on the subject. Robins had been playing Matty Godden with one or the other until the weekend when he played Wright and Simms together for 71 minutes, at which point the USA international made way for Godden.City went on to snatch a late equaliser two minutes from normal time when Milan van Ewijk sent in a cross from the right which was headed into his own net by Canaries’ defender Ben Gibson. Asked after the game how he thought Wright and Simms played together and for his thoughts on the different dynamics between the two big men compared to Godden and either one of them, Robins told CoventryLive: “They worked really hard to stop Norwich from playing out and they were always a threat, and then obviously Matty Godden coming on for Haji gave us a freshness and he looked like he could contribute to a goal as well, and that’s what you’re looking for if you make“You’re looking for the contribution to be significant, and they have all done that today, so I have got to be pleased with the point but it’s tinged with a bit of disappointment because of the way we played and fact that we could have won.”
Pressed further on the big man, big man combination, he admitted: “They need to develop. They were OK tactically against a side that play out, but the more they play together the more they will learn; the more they will learn about each other and the more they will learn about the game.
“And while you’re playing against different opponents each challenge is slightly different. There are a lot of teams who play out and you have to make sure you move at the right time and in the right way. You have got to learn to do two or three jobs rather than just one. If the ball goes a certain way you have to go and do that and block it, so there’s a lot of nuances to it and we are in that process and learning. But generally, I think they have done pretty well in the game. And that’s probably the best and most we have been in a game against Norwich since I have been here.”
What CoventryLive says:Fans have been debating it for weeks, and Robins finally took the plunge and played Haji Wright and Ellis Simms up front together for the first time. In the previous 10 games it had been a case of playing Matty Godden with one or the other – a dynamic that works because Godden provides excellent movement and so much energy, particularly pressing from the front to force mistakes in the final third, which complements a more physical front man.
The two big lads did OK and were a threat without really hurting Norwich in a combination that clearly needs a bit more work. There was one first-half attack when Wright broke free and was desperately looking to feed Simms, only for the angle of his pass to be blocked by a defender. But it felt like City lacked Godden’s work-rate in the press to stop the opposition playing out from the back, and the striker added a bit of a spark when he went on as one of three changes in the 71st minute.
It’s safe to conclude that the partnership is very much a work-in-progress, but, given the amount City paid for the pair, the manager simply cannot afford not to work on them as front two.
