Mark Robins makes plea to Coventry fanbase after difficult start to season

Mark Robins makes a direct plea to the Coventry City fanbase to help the club through their difficult start to the 2024/25 season.

During his press conference, Coventry Telegraph noted that he wants them remember the club’s mantra ‘Rise Together’ in a bid to help him and the players turn their form around.

While he still had faith in his side, he also felt “aggrieved” at his side having decisions go against them and after their loss at Preston, there was some heated words exchanged from a fan towards Robins.

“Look, the game against Preston was a difficult result to take after the performance, which I didn’t think was that poor. It wasn’t bad,” Robins said during the pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend’s home game against Luton Town.

“There were some really good bits in that and we had been in that game as much as we’d been in any game against a Preston team previously, so it was disappointing. The goal that was disallowed, it’s incredible because there’s no way the ball has touched Haji’s hand and we have definitive proof.

“Haji has said it didn’t touch his hand, we have video footage that shows it didn’t touch his hand, so we feel aggrieved and I think we are right to feel aggrieved in that instance because there have been instances in a few games where we just haven’t had the rub of the green or the luck that the play has deserved, or the right outcome from decisions.”

Robins when questioned about what the match official said after last weekend’s game, he revealed: “He said it was handball and that’s why he’d ruled it out. It’s just difficult to take. And it’s difficult for them, they have a difficult job to do. But regardless of whether you are top, bottom or wherever, you want the outcome to be the correct one, and we have been on the end of too many that haven’t been right. It’s there, it’s in black and white and you can’t make things up. And that’s where we are at the minute.

“It will be interesting to find out how many points we have lost on poor decisions. It doesn’t help now but it’s something I am interested in looking at because there are a few things in games that stop momentum. I think back to the Swansea game when we had to come off for a thunder storm and the momentum that we had just stopped.

“But I am not hiding behind that because the results haven’t been good enough, and we’re clear on that. Football being football, there are times when you go through these periods and you have to try to block out any noise because that can become pretty loud at times, particularly on social media or if you listen to comments from individuals or small groups. It can affect a little bit of confidence and you have got to try to help with that. I don’t think performances have been particularly poor; there have been good spells, as there were again on Tuesday when we started off brightly.

“Things will turn around, there is no doubt that things will turn around and the players will look back and hopefully have this as a learning experience for the future. We have all been in football a long time and you get periods like this where you start to feel things might go against you, or have gone against you; not performing to a level we expect or want but, again, there are things mitigating those results that are generally out of our control.

“In our control, we have got to do better on the defensive side of things because we have conceded too many goals so far and we have got to try to stop that whilst continuing to create chances and growing into that and taking the chances at the other end, and maintain the belief that they have got and build on that because it’s a fine line between success and relative failure.

“So we have got to keep going. There’s no easy option. We have got to work hard, and work hard on he mental side of things as well because that has become so much more prevalent in today’s society, hence you have to help, support, build and grow. And that’s what we’re trying to do in pretty difficult circumstances, I have got to say, with a young team, young players. I keep saying it but it is really relevant.

“And the support that we have had from the fanbase has been fantastic and we have to ask for that to continue because, undoubtedly, if they stick by the players they’ll come through it a lot quicker, that’s for sure.”

On needing the fans to get behind his side: “When you talk about being in it together, and there’s been a mantra of ‘Rise Together’ for a number of years, and the fanbase being together, they have seen what happens when everyone is together.

“We have also seen what happens when it becomes fractured, so they will have learned and seen that, and know that I am not talking rubbish.

“Tuesday night’s support was incredible. The majority were incredible at Preston, just one or two not, and sometimes people go to games and want to vent; there are things on the pitch they don’t like or we haven’t won a game and they want to see us win. They pay hard-earned money and have given their time up to travel, but I’d just ask them to support the team, support the players, and if they do that then things will turn around a lot quicker.

“The players are young men and they have their own challenges. They will be having some self doubts. It’s normal for people to doubt themselves and then that can put them on the back foot. And, by the way, opposition teams will feel that when they play us because we have got some really good players. I have got no qualms about the players; it’s circumstances that sometimes we allow to dictate our mindset, and we have to change that. That’s the challenge and we are addressing it but it doesn’t change overnight, but it will change a lot quicker with the support from the fans, and we really appreciate that.

“It’s difficult because the noise builds. I know what it’s like, I am not stupid. It is just a difficult moment where you have got to try to come through it and believe in what you’re doing. I think they (the players) do, you’d have to ask them, but I think they do. Performances have been intermittently good, interspersed with periods where there’s a little bit of doubt creeping in, but that’s what happens in this division. And if you can get on top of teams in the division you put them on the back foot, and we have to do that to our opponents but we have to grow into that.

“The atmosphere at Loftus Road was another outstanding one. It wasn’t an ideal result but I think the majority of people will see that we have worked hard, fought hard and created a number of chances, taken one and on another night could have had three or four goals. But that will come.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Mark Robins makes a plea to Coventry fanbase after a difficult start to the season…

@scotty6534: How right is he! It saddens me to see him even speak about the minority. This bloke deserves so much credit for where he’s taken us from. He’ll also carry on taking us forward….long term #PUSB

@NickJH83: Give us something to cheer about then. This relationship is a two way street.

@tagz96CCFC: We have and our supporting the team home and away and it shows. We will back the team like we always do but we need to see some effort and passion in response. Get the players doing that and all will be ok

@IndySingh94: Absolutely! W, D or L, I’ll be with the team no matter what. Very close margins for majority of the season so far that will start going in our favour as the clinical edge and confidence will get there. Got to enjoy the journey as this will be forgotten in months time

@george_whitelaw: The king 🩵⚽️

@CoryMatthews18: We will be there 🩵

@Moseley3_: Love you mark

@mattyTFccfc: This man is now single handedly doing the job of an entire section of a dressing room, whilst not having an assistant. The Fadz, Godden, Kelly group would’ve been instrumental in preventing younger players from listening to outside noise, no doubt AV was as well. This may well be an oversight of the analytical view of football proposed by many of the club’s new employees. Overhauling a coaching staff, seeing the one most experienced with young players leave (AV), and removing almost the entire 30+ section of the dressing room has clearly allowed outside noise to seep into the dressing room. It’s more than just not having Fadz there to dig someone out after a loss. The experienced players help prevent these downwards spirals by knowing how to help distracted, underperforming young players stay focused on their football. Vs QPR we didnt start a player over 26. Tats the only one over 26 in the whole squad. Coupled with a coaching staff entirely in their 1st or 2nd first-team jobs. My point; we unfortunately have a responsibility as a fanbase to make up for the club’s shortfalls at the moment. Don’t dig out MR for every other comment, understand that these are coming from a place of trying to protect players. Stay loud as possible through games. DON’T write off players after one or two mistakes. Back them and Mark to the hilt. Essentially, don’t produce the outside noise in the first place. MR believes it will turn around, and he’s earned the chance to prove that.

@psb_group: He’s spot on, fans need to try and stay positive and get the good atmosphere back, it definitely helps, and they need all the help they can get currently #PUSB

@Ca1ebSpicer: sir mark, spot on as always

@AheadBlue89173: Overall effort & quality of performance has not been lacking. Not having two of our best players start together and a few poor decisions has left us where we are. No loanees bodes well for the future of this squad even if it means enduring a few more painful weeks. Keep the faith

@ChrisDennis5: There’s only so much saying ‘you’ve got to support the players’ you can say. Fans HAVE been supporting the players, but when there is a lack of effort, people will question it and why on earth shouldn’t they?!

@ccfcsince97: The team have been supported in massive numbers home, away, season ticket sales, shirt sales etc The players need to take responsibility and perform on the pitch simple as that! Don’t deflect the blame for piss poor performances and results the buck lies firmly at players door