New Coventry manager Mark Robins spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One match against Carlisle at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday afternoon, Robins saying he has plenty of work to do with the winless Sky Blues:
“The first training session went OK, they started off a little bit slowly but they got brighter as they went on. We did a bit of work to have a look at relationships between the players and that was interesting, there is plenty of work still to do and we have got to make sure that we try to foster those relationships with the players amongst themselves in communication and the way that they communicate on the pitch, and even off the pitch.
“So, it was interesting from my point of view, they passed the ball pretty well at times, we have got some decent talented players in there but we need to be more cohesive. It is going to take time, it is no surprise, very similar to the situation I found at Barnsley when I went to Barnsley. So, we will certainly look to improve but it was an interesting session today for the first one.
“They have got to show that hunger, they have got to show the desire to play. There is a squad of about 32 players I think here and they have got to be willing to really put a shift in and show that. It is still not there yet but we will still drive that forward, they have got to be better than they were today, but again, we are talking about incremental improvement, today was OK and I think they enjoyed it and they understand what it is I am asking of them and how I am going to work. It is early days, really early days, but we will get a shot in the arm there is no doubt.
“In fairness to Andy Thorn it looks like he has brought in players who want to play football on the floor. But, in this division allied to that is other stuff because you want to play football and you want to play it on the ground and you want to have a good spectacle for supporters. Then the players have got to enjoy it as well, I don’t think that they will enjoy running after balls and chasing after balls that get smashed 75 yards down the pitch.
“That is not what we are looking for, we are looking for passing and we are looking for movement, but we are looking for strength, mental strength, when we lose the ball we have to try to win the ball back. So, there are things that have still got to be done and obviously in a short space of time with only having had 48 hours before the game there is only so much you can do. But, it has given me a little bit of an insight into what the atmosphere is like."
“There is nothing easy in this division, that is a given, teams are organised, teams will work hard, teams will try to put you under pressure. Carlisle will come to the Ricoh to enjoy trying to take three points from Coventry City, there is no doubt about it, we are a big scalp in the division and teams will come with that mentality. So, we have got to be ready for it, we have got to expect it and be able to deal with it. That is the thing that we have got to make sure that we change and we change pretty quickly, the season starts here.
“We will have to have a look and see if I can strengthen, if I can bring a player or two in, I would look to do something and give us some help and support in the back four centrally and look at some support at left-back if I could do. Then maybe even further forward in terms of a midfield player that I have had a look at. I have got to wait and see and weigh those things up, but I am certainly looking to do something and bring some help in.
“We need the fans onside without a doubt and it is going to take a while to turn it round. There are going to be ups and downs but rest assured that we know what we are doing and given time, and that is the magic ingredient, we will turn it round and we will get it right. The first thing we have got to do is stop the negativity around the place and the poor results. From there we will be able to put the building blocks in place to try to build the club all the way through.
“You want to get the crowd behind you 100%, you are looking for them to be twelfth man and to give us a real boost. We have to reciprocate obviously and make sure that we put performances in for them. It may not be pretty at times because we have got a lot of work to do, but ultimately it will be and we will make sure that we put something in place that the Coventry supporters can enjoy watching and can enjoy talking about with their friends.
“I think promotion would be the ultimate aim but we have got to do it incrementally. Norwich City were in a similar position and all of a sudden things turn round, player recruitment has been better and they have ended up with two promotions. Those things can happen, that is the utopia, what we have got to make sure is that we stop the slide at the moment and turn that around and change it the other way. We have got to change the performance levels, the performance of the players will then improve the results but everybody has got to take a collective responsibility.”