Coventry City fans have reacted to former manager Mark Robins’ comments following their team’s 1-0 victory over Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.
The Sky Blues won 1-0 thanks to an 86th-minute goal from Ephron Mason-Clark, leaving Coventry five points ahead of Middlesbrough as Championship sides enter the season’s third international break.
However, the comments made by Robins – a figure formerly beloved by Cov fans after his long tenure as manager – following the result elicited a backlash from Sky Blues fans after they were shared on social media.
Coventry City fans reacted strongly to Mark Robins’ post-match statements
In his post-match interview following his team’s 1-0 loss, which was posted to the Stoke City club account on the social media platform X, Mark Robins defended his team, claiming that they had the better chances throughout the game and that Frank Lampard’s side did not put them under too much pressure, instead opting for set pieces and long balls.
Coventry City fans took note of the former manager’s reaction following the match, with some expressing disgust with his words.
Others remarked on his “saltiness” after the game, but it’s apparent that many Sky Blues fans still see Robins as a “Sky Blues legend”.
One Cov supporter believes that Robins may be jealous of Lampard’s current position in the Championship, given that he was never able to pull the club over the line and into the Premier League while he was manager.
Another City fan thought Robins was spouting “nonsense” and assumed it was a common occurrence whenever Cov lost under his guidance.
Others, however, agreed with his assessment that it was a close match and struck a more conciliatory tone.
It was also pointed out that, given the club’s past under Tony Pulis, it may be ironic for a manager to take advantage of long balls and throws.
Coventry fans haven’t forgotten what Mark Robins achieved for their club
There was little doubt that Stoke City’s meeting against Coventry City was the Championship match of the weekend. Over 27,000 people attended the game at The Bet365 Stadium, and match statistics show that it was a very close encounter, with only five shots on goal over the course of 90 minutes.
Managers may find it difficult to keep their emotions under control in the heat of the moment, especially if they have recently suffered a defeat against a club with which they have been involved for a long period. Mark Robins is not your typical former Coventry City manager.
His initial stint as club manager lasted barely a few months. He was appointed in September 2012 and resigned just five months later to become manager of Huddersfield Town.
However, it was his second stay at the club that cemented Robins’ status as a Coventry City icon. Reappointed by the club in March 2017, he guided them to victory over Oxford United in the EFL Trophy final less than a month later.
That second term would span more than seven years and set a number of records, including the club’s first promotion in 51 years and its first FA Cup semi-final appearance since 1987. Robins was unable to retain the team in League One at the end of the 2016-17 season, but he led them back up through the play-offs the following year and oversaw their return to the Championship two years later.
Sacked in November 2024 following a terrible run of success, Robins may have had reason for being handled that way given everything he had accomplished with the team. However, he will have been around the game long enough to recognize that professional football is a ruthlessly unsentimental business.
Indeed, with his previous and current clubs in the Championship’s top two spots, it might be argued that his departure from Coventry and employment at the Potteries worked out nicely for both clubs. And, despite the “pettiness” comments, many Sky Blues fans responded to that X post, confirming that they have not forgotten what he done for their club.
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