SOBS V COV

The Lads went to Coventry and were sent to Coventry thanks to a display that was the polar opposite of what we produced last season in just about every department. A goal behind after we didn't deal with a simple cross on seventeen, Luke was robbed twenty minutes later and that was basically it. A rotten deflection off Alderete early in the second half really killed it and Enzo's penalty was never going to be anything other than a consolation. Stick Aldo's second yellow onto to top of that unsavoury pile in added time and you get the picture... there's bad days at the office and there's days the office simply didn't open. So much for having bust the Coventry hoodoo in May 2025.

Perhaps the barman in Hinckley thinking we were playing Leicester was a sign, but at least his Bass provided what would turn out to be the day's high point. It might have been better had Winch managed to get the Space Invader machine out of the door, but perhaps thankfully we refused to help. On police advice we left there at one and were escorted into the ground - apparently the only set of fans to be afforded that honour. You'd think we had history... but it meant we were in with over an hour to spare.

Roefs

Hume O'Nien Alderete Reinildo

Xhaka (c) Sadiki

Angulo Le Fee Rigg

Brobbey

... and a bench of Ellborg,Talbi, Isidor, Fofana, Meunier, Ahoka, Ta Bi, Methalie, and Danso.

No Mukiele - in pink, we faced our fans and we kicked off after a well-observed silence and last post for Remembrance Day. Very moving.

Our new routine of hoofing it from the start to an imaginary Gordon Armstrong at least gained us some ground, but it was Roefs saving down to his left, at the expense of a corner, that was the first goalmouth action. A late challenge on Rigg in halfway held things up for a while, then it was Roefs again, this time coming out on top of a one-on-one when they'd broken down their left. We got it up to BB, who held it up as he usually does to get it to Rigg, who cut inside and saw his shot saved.

To be honest, we were looking half decent at this stage, and Enzo's corner got to the back post, from where Rigg had his shot blocked and Hume had his saved.

... and that was about it. A deep cross was messed up with our defenders hitting it off each other and setting it up nicely for Sakamoto on the edge of the box and it was 0-1 on 17. Bugger.

A decent save from a free kick by Roefs kept it at one, but after twenty minutes of to-ing and fro-ing we messed up again in central defence again and it was 0-2.

There was a single added minute, there were no changes for the second half, and we'd only been going five or so minutes when a rotten deflection off Aldo sent Roefs the wrong way and it was 0-3. Game very much over, but we brought on Talbi for Rigg and Issy for Angulo, and Chems nearly made an immediate impact with a shot across that was inches wide.

It did change on 68 when a Luke shot hit an arm and after a lengthy stare at the telly, we got a penalty which Enzo planted high to the keeper's right.

Game on? Not really. Even when we brought on Meunier and Fofana for Hume and Sadiki, we couldn't get to grips with the midfield.

Alderete was caught out by a clever turn and was booked for his response. To be fair to him, he wasn't the only one getting caught out by Coventry's more positive approach and our once very joined up play (last season) became even more disjointed. We had one last attempt, with Issy having a header tipped over but their keeper took the corner comfortably. Having said that, Aldo's miserable afternoon/season got even worse when, deep into the added nine minutes, he forgot about his yellow card and hauled his man over. Second yellow, off you go.

Please get fit, Ballard. Soon.

... and that really was it. A dreadful performance, with a number of players simply not looking at the races. We've tried three wingers, we've tried two, and we've tried none. Today we tried one, and it didn't work. The quick passing and movement of last season, and of the games against City and Arsenal, just wasn't there. Whether that's down to the gaffer's input in training or the players' attitude on matchday - who knows, but it needs sorting soon. Fighting on three fronts obviously has an impact, but we seem to be managing the non-Prem stuff well enough. Mind, we did have 17 shots to their 12, but only two on target - and one was the penalty.

Man of the Match? Pffft. Not easy, as nobody had a really good afternoon, but Enzo scored and had a few decent moments so he gets my reluctant vote.