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Coventry v Middlesbrough
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Competition: Championship
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Kick off: 12:30
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Watch live: Sky Sports Main Event
Two teams that went down to disappointing single-goal defeats on opening weekend look to get their season started a week later at the CBS Arena.
Coventry led their tough away game at Leicester into the final stages but ended up succumbing to the sheer quality of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, surely not the last side to suffer that fate if the Leicester midfielder stays in the Championship.
Middlesbrough, though, barely even looked like scoring against an efficient Millwall team and Michael Carrick will have to go back to the drawing board, or, more likely, the transfer market, to try and solve some of those problems.
This is a rematch of a Championship play-off semi-final last May. It was the end of the promotion dream for Middlesbrough on that occasion, as Coventry nullified them over two legs and found a way to scrape through to Wembley. Revenge will be on the minds of Boro this week.
Both of these sides relied on forward players that are no longer at the club for their successful seasons last year. Coventry are in the position that they have already had weeks to re-build after selling Viktor Gyokeres for a good fee, whereas Middlesbrough have lost Cameron Archer, returning to parent club Aston Villa, from the juggernaut that stormed up the league last term. Chuba Akpom’s contract situation also remains complicated, his fitness doesn’t seem to be quite there, and transfer speculation rages on.
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Undone at the death, but Coventry’s re-modelling shows signs of promise
Despite every single manager, director of football, and recruitment team in the country wanting more money to spend, it can often be tricky and highly pressurised to spend a windfall well. This is especially the case when trying to replace a key player. We have seen in recent years how Tottenham fumbled when trying to replace Gareth Bale with a big sum of money, Aston Villa famously tried to “Moneyball” the replacement of Jack Grealish by trying to “make it up in the aggregate” with Danny Ings, Leon Bailey, and Emiliano Buendia, and now Coventry are working on improving their squad with the Gyokeres money.
Ellis Simms and Matty Godden, this week signed to a new deal, formed a front two against Leicester, and both men had chances. Indeed, the pair had nine shots between them as the Sky Blues somehow managed to spurn four of their five big chances against their Midlands rivals. It would be unwise to back against Mark Robins coming up with a solid plan against Michael Carrick in this encounter.
Coventry team news
Against perceived wisdom, it turned out that Ben Wilson was indeed fit enough to play last week. As #1 he should continue in this match too. The back three of Kyle McFadzean, Joel Latibeaudiere, and Bobby Thomas looks set to continue with Luis Binks prepared to make his league debut if required.
The versatile Josh Eccles played at right wing-back last week but may lose his place to big-money signing Milan van Ewijk. Jay Dasilva will likely continue in his role on the left. Another big signing, Haji Wright made his first start in the EFL Cup in mid-week but is unlikely to force his way into the first team at this stage.
Carrick looking to avoid Wilder’s mistakes in the opening weeks of the Championship season
This time last season, Middlesbrough had been widely tipped for a potential promotion season under the management of esteemed manager Chris Wilder. In all fairness to both Boro and Wilder, their performances seemed promising, but the results were not forthcoming.
The optimism took a while to die out, but as results simply couldn’t turn around, the inevitable happened and Wilder was replaced as head coach. Results immediately turned around and Boro powered up the table under Michael Carrick and ended in the play-offs.
This is a key game so early in the season for Carrick and Middlesbrough if they are going to avoid any suggestion of history repeating itself here. If the Teessiders put in a similar performance as they did at home to Millwall then, as ridiculous as it may sound, some grumbles will start to appear in the fanbase.
“I’m upbeat now, I really am. I think we’ve got some really good talent within the group. We’ve got some good experience within the group. I’m really upbeat.”
Michael Carrick on his postivity about the current Middlesbrough squad
Pressure is on the recruitment and the confusion around Chuba Akpom’s position at the club isn’t helping the situation. As things stand there is no real improvement on the attacking side of the team from last season, having lost loanees Ryan Giles and Cameron Archer, but it seems as though progress has been made with Lukas Engel on the verge of a move to fill the left back slot and strong links to Atalanta’s Emmanuel Latte Lath who would become their first choice centre forward if that deal is completed. Both are good potential solutions for Boro’s key issues and would improve the feeling around the club.
However, the real boost to the club would come with three points in Coventry on Saturday. It is a tough ask, but Boro are capable.
Middlesbrough team news
The team as it stands picks itself in certain positions as a result of the lack of depth in the squad.
Whilst Carrick would like to have more pressure on the players in the full-back positions, and it is coming soon, he will have to rely on the versatile Paddy McNair and academy product Hayden Coulson on the left. Darragh Lenihan and Dael Fry are clear first-choice central defenders at the moment.
The key decision to be made ahead of this match surrounds the fitness of Jonny Howson. If the captain is fit then he should play ahead of Dan Barlaser, it is a 50/50 call. Hayden Hackney will play in the other central midfield slot. Marcus Forss, Matt Crooks and Riley McGree played in support of Morgan Rogers last week, but the lack of penetration may force Carrick into changes. Chuba Akpom may be pushed into action with Sam Silvera the most likely to come in if another change is made.
Coventry v Middlesbrough Cheat Sheet
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ABC’s 4/1 Coventry v Middlesbrough bet builder tips
Coventry v Middlesbrough
Kick Off: 12:30
Competition: Championship
Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Selection: 1 of 3
Prediction: Over 3.5 cards
Odds: 1.30
This is partially a result of the extra minutes that we saw being played in the opening round of Championship games last week, even if bookies have already made moves to adjust their lines accordingly.
There is also the extra stringency that is being applied to the rules of the game. This resulted in the Championship reporting an average of 5.11 yellow cards over the 12 matches last weekend, as compared to the 2022/23 season average of 4.03.
Add into this mix the edge that may well carry over from their three consecutive meetings last year and there could be a good recipe for cards.
Selection: 2 of 3
Prediction: Riley McGree to commit 2+ fouls
Odds: 1.91
McGree is one of Middlesbrough’s press leaders and is often found in the book.
The Australian has committed the most fouls of any Boro player in recent weeks, and he averaged 1.4 fouls per 90 last season. He committed three fouls in Boro’s last match against Coventry and managed two in just 18 minutes in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
McGree is definitely a consistent fouler as well, going ten matches in 12 with at least one foul towards the end of the season.
Selection: 3 of 3
Prediction: Ellis Simms to have 3+ shots
Odds: 1.87
Coventry’s forwards have been shot monsters so far this term. It has already been discussed above but Simms and Godden had nine shots between them last time out, Simms managed four of those.
Haji Wright, on debut, had seven shots in the midweek Carabao Cup action along with Godden grabbing four and Simms two. This was against AFC Wimbledon but the fact remains that Coventry are able to get the ball into their forwards for them to have some shots.
With Godden starting both matches, and Simms having his minutes restricted in midweek, it is an educated guess that Simms is a more sure bet to play more minutes than Godden.
Haji Wright is a better price than Simms and is worth bearing in mind for the near future, but we cannot know that Wright will start here.
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