Is Mark Robins the manager of the season?
After 10 games of this Championship season, it would have been close to fantasy to predict that bottomless Coventry would be three games clear of the Premier League by the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
The Sky Blues had just one win to their name; a backlog of light fixtures; and only had has just been authorized return to play matches on their home turf.
The CBS Arena ground had been left ‘unsafe’ by 65 rugby sevens matches in just three days during the Commonwealth Games, while a dispute with landowners was playing out, alongside a takeover that was ultimately completed in January.
But that ‘horrendous start’ was turned into a ‘miraculous’ finish by Robins, who overcame numerous challenges in his six years as club manager, leading them to their best fifth-place finish since relegation from the Premier League in 2001.
On Sunday (12:00 BST), they host Middlesbrough in the opener of a two-legged Championship play-off semi-final, aiming for Wembley – and ultimately the Premier League.
“I may be a firefighter, but it’s a project”
Robins returned to Coventry for his second term in March 2017 and was unable to prevent the club from being relegated to League Two, despite winning the EFL trophy this season.
Since then, City have grown steadily. The club had not finished in the top six in any division for 48 years before Robins guided them out of League Two via the play-off final of the 2017-18 season, their first promotion for 51 years.
Coventry went on to win the League One title, while sharing the ground with Birmingham, in the 2019-20 campaign.
Since consolidating their position in the Championship, they have rubbed shoulders with the biggest clubs in the division, some of which are backed by the parachute payments criticized for distorting the league. Robins himself says the Championship is “not a level playing field”.
Many would say the 53-year-old former Manchester United striker is flying under the radar.
He was shortlisted for the division’s manager of the season award, but lost out to highly rated and coveted Burnley manager Vincent Kompany.
Robins will also face Middlesbrough, a former Manchester United player and assistant manager to Michael Carrick, in the play-offs, but he doesn’t care for acclaim.
“When you look at where we finished after 46 games, it’s nothing short of miraculous,” Robins said.
“The club’s mantra has been ‘rise together’ over the past few years.
“When you think about it, to be where we are, in the context of us and this football club, it’s been a phenomenal achievement so far.”
Getting to the play-offs caps an impressive rise since Robins’ return, but he ‘doesn’t mind’ a lower profile and is eager to share the praise.
“I’ve been described as a firefighter and that may be true to some extent, but there are different stages,” he said.
“Firefighting here is trying to build and put things in place to get things done. Trying to make sure you have the right culture and the right people in the building.
“That has been the biggest challenge against a backdrop of uncertainty, the movement of stadiums, it has been very, very difficult.
“There’s a lot of talk about projects these days and projects are a mistake unless you have the time to do them. Obviously you need results to do it and the backing and support of the board of directors.”
‘Change too fast and the wheels can come off’
Many managers were reportedly courted for moving to “bigger clubs” after two promotions and winning a cup competition, but Robins says he was not interested in leaving.
“I wasn’t there for that,” he said. “I came here in 2012 and left about five months later. While I don’t regret going to Huddersfield, I didn’t want to leave the club either. When I left I missed it. .
“When I had the opportunity to come back, I knew the circumstances whereas the first time I hadn’t. Coming back with my eyes wide open, I felt I could help.
“Although there has been interest [from other clubs], I made it clear that it was my priority and I am totally involved in this project. There’s this word ‘project’, it’s only a project if you have the time.”
Time is something that is not commonly given to football managers. In the Premier League a save 14 managers have lost their jobs this season. There have been 21 changes in the Championship where Robins is the longest-serving manager.
“If you try to drastically change things too quickly, the wheels can come off,” Robins said.
“To drag us from where we were to where we are now, it took time, believe me. It was a phenomenal effort from everyone.”
Coventry have received praise for the way they have played football this season. Striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has scored 21 league goals this season, has been linked with several Premier League clubs, with 24-year-old Swedish international and goalkeeper Ben Wilson named in the Championship team of the season. Midfielder Gustavo Hamer was one of the standout players of the season.
The club has managed to consistently find value in the market and compete with clubs whose finances are boosted by its recent presence in the Premier League.
“We had to try to find those gems. To be honest, I’ve had some good people in recruiting roles,” Robins said.
“We managed to make sure we cut our fabric accordingly and moved people around when they wanted to leave. Or people moved on. We were able to get money to get players who can adapt what we wanted to do.”
Robins is unlikely to continue operating under the radar should he fulfill the dream of a Premier League return for Coventry after more than 20 years away.
“I don’t even let my head go in that place,” he said. “I think it’s a dangerous thing to do. You can dream and I’ve been telling supporters for weeks now – they can dare to dream.”
