A Word on… The Attack

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After finishing the previous season in such good form, it’s been a real disappointment to see Ellis Simms take no further steps forward in his development. Sometimes finding himself on the bench in games that have cried out for his involvement, and also spectating as teammates score the sorts of chances he would be salivating at being presented with, one could argue that he is often a victim of circumstance. Despite moments where it looked like he could start to get himself into a good patch of form, Simms never really provided consistent performances.

A return of four goals in six games during the team’s purple patch post-New Year’s day was as good as it got for him this term, but sadly he could not find himself able to capitalise on this small spate of performances. Despite a decent turn of pace on the occasions where he was able to truly get up to speed, he was rarely able to put the final flourish to his runs; be it due to a heavy touch at the end of the dribble, or a disappointing finish when one-on-one. That finishing has also betrayed Simms’ ability to get himself into good goalscoring positions.

There was a brief period during Frank Lampard’s reign, where Simms was able to make himself a nuisance to opposing defenders. Suddenly able to win the ball when kicked long towards him, and suprisingly capable of keeping it at his feet and laying it off to his teammates; this was Simms’ biggest contribution to the team, right when they were at the peak of their form this season. In doing this, Simms was able to create a lot of time and space for his onrushing midfielders, thus moving the whole team forward.

In the same breath, for a player of Simms’ build, he quite simply did not impose himself enough in matches, apart from a handful of games where you could sense that he actually fancied himself against the opposing defence. That those good moments were so fleeting in the long haul made Simms the target of much frustration from the crowd, who had seen only a year ago what can happen when he is on the top of his game.

Ellis Simms finds himself a player with a few question marks over his head. A powerful forward with a meek temperament, Simms really needs to refine his cutting edge, and maybe add a new level in his approach play, in order to fulfill his potential. Whether he does so or not lies squarely with him. As fans run low on patience with him, it remains to be seen whether the club’s coaching staff share those sentiments. If he doesn’t end up being sold in the summer, he certainly may not see as many minutes as he has done this season.

After finishing last season as joint-top scorer alongside Ellis Simms, Haji Wright has been able to do what his team mate couldn’t, and maintain his prowess in front of goal. That isn’t to say however, that Wright has not been able to eradicate the more irritating parts of his game.

Wright started the season in the left-wing berth that he had spent the majority of the previous campaign, before being deployed as one of a strike pairing as Mark Robins switched to his fallback 3-5-2 system in an attempt to solidify the defence. Regardless of the role he was given, Wright consistently scored goals, resulting in a haul of seven in fifteen matches; effectively the one in two ratio that is the mark of quality in strikers. Whether or not Wright would have been able to continue at that rate will remain a mystery however, as his season was abruptly interrupted by a severe ankle injury at the Stadium of Light that saw him miss three months of the season as well as the arrival of Frank Lampard.

Upon his return, it took Wright a couple of appearances to really get back into his stride. A couple of quiet sub appearances preceded his first full match after his recovery, away at Derby, in a lacklustre individual & team performance. The next game, at home to Sunderland saw Haji at his absolute best. Both a physical presence and technically sound, Wright made light work of Chris Mepham and co. at the back, en route to scoring his first Coventry City hat-trick. Sadly, that was the last truly good performance from Wright as his form dwindled towards the end of the season, only managing to score twice more; both in defeat.

Able to run at the back line with free will, take on shots from any distance and comfortably so with either foot, as well as having strong aerial capabilities; Haji Wright should really be Coventry’s star player, and has the stats to back it up. However, he has a knack of trying a bit too hard to create shooting opportunities for himself in crowded areas, much to the detriment of his team mates, and is growing in infamy for a perceived lack of work rate when having to defend. Haji Wright is yet another player at the club, who needs to improve the mental aspects of his game in order to fully harness his abilities. He is, however, not a player to be taken for granted in this side, and unless the club pull a rabbit out of their hat in terms of striker recruitment over the summer, he should still be considered the best attacker in the side.

…he can still be a very frustrating player to witness, as his ability to control the ball or dribble seems to desert him at times, or sometimes he chooses to try and do that little bit too much with the ball only to ultimately lose possession. The fact that he can score goals like the ones he managed against Bristol City and Swansea City, as well as provide the assist for Simms’ goal in the latter game, shows that he is a player who is probably better acting off of instinct, and would benefit from having less time on the ball in some cases. Perhaps this shows off his value as a player who would be better at the very end of moves rather than in the build-up, or as a player who can make an impact off the bench if we are chasing a game and throwing caution to the wind.

This was my assessment of Brandon Thomas-Asante back at the beginning of February, and since then little has changed to dispel that notion.

Brought in to the club after a deal was struck with West Bromwich Albion and the player; one that usurped one which was tabled by league rivals Hull City, Brandon Thomas-Asante very much fit the criteria that Mark Robins was after; able to play in a number of positions, and with enough experience at the higher end of the division to provide depth to the squad and hopefully relieve the pressure on some of the more overworked attackers as the season progressed. The fact that a player of those facets was available at a cut-price rate was perhaps an opportunity too good to ignore; the type of signing that, had he joined Hull or any other team instead of ours, Coventry supporters might have cried out for, not least as a statement of intent.

As the striker of choice for the Baggies over the previous two terms, Thomas-Asante finished as their top scorer on both occasions, albeit with a goal return that isn’t particularly impressive for a spearhead of a side that made the playoffs each time. As such, when playing a squad role and with a lack of defined position (especially earlier on) during this past campaign, Thomas-Asante hasn’t delivered all too often. He has the potential to provide big moments, but at the same time lacks the ability to do so, especially when it really matters. A shocking miss at Carrow Road was probably the nadir of his season, but he recovered to immediately hit a run of form – once again when the team was flying – with three goals and an assist in his next four matches. He later made an impact on the final day against Middlesbrough from off the bench, capitalising on Boro throwing men forward. Thomas-Asante was unlucky with his first touch – running through and hitting the post from range – before laying on the assist for Jack Rudoni’s second goal. It was the sort of situation that suited his skillset. The following game, in the playoffs against Sunderland, saw him rewarded with a rare start. This highlighted the opposite side of the player, as he was unable to establish any authority against a physical side that sat in and dug deep, nor to impose a threat in front of goal.

A hard worker on the pitch and a terrific personality off of it, Thomas-Asante has moments of magic that keep his head above water, when otherwise he seems to get lost in the mix. Quick but not electric; rugged but not strong; useful but not deadly: it would take a serious leap forward for Thomas-Asante to become a leading light in this side. Perhaps being a squad option remains the best case scenario for BTA looking ahead to next season.

Adding another striker to the ranks was not high amongst the demands of the fans as the transfer window drew to a close, yet Norman Bassette was signed from SM Caen seemingly out of nowhere. With a full season of English football now under his belt, there still remains an element of intrigue surrounding the player.

It is likely that Bassette was brought in with the aim of developing his game with the occasional appearance, without having to shoulder the burden carried by his more senior peers. Instead, Bassette has featured more heavily than perhaps anticipated, thanks in part to the indifferent form of Thomas-Asante and Simms, and the prolonged absence of Wright. An effervescent character on the field, Bassette’s pace and enthusiam quickly endeared himself to the fans.

Very much a direct player, Bassette comes across as a player who again benefits the most from being the player with the final say in a move. This is best showcased in his two poacher’s efforts that make up the entirety of his goal return for the club. He however has to add a lot more to his game in order to establish himself at this level at least. Despite his willingness to mix it with opposing players (we all saw what he did against Sheffield United), he doesn’t yet have the brawn to match his apparent guile. His technical game can also improve. If he can’t yet be trusted to lead the line on his own, he is better off when playing with another striker who can relieve the more rugged duties from him.

It is a strong belief of mine that had Haji Wright been fit and available for selection before the close of the January transfer window, then the club would likely have sought after a loan move for Bassette. Instead, he was kept around as a willing but not yet necessarily able squad member. A loan move should still be sought after; hopefully at a team that gives him regular game time in a league that doesn’t patronise him. Maybe then we will be able to make a far more measured assessment of his ability. Otherwise, he could spend his time at the club maintaining an air of mystique that leaves him being clamoured after by the fans, but never making enough of an impression to justify it – Fabio Tavares syndrome, perhaps?
Speaking of…

Two appearances totalling approximately 65 minutes this term before being shipped out on loan to League 1 strugglers Burton Albion, it wouldn’t be fair at all to provide any analysis on Fabio Tavares’ season this time around. Instead, as he has now left the club, it is best to look on his time at the club as a whole. Plucked from Rochdale and signed as a development player in the winter of the Covid-afflicted, behind-closed-doors season that was the club’s return to the Championship – a season that now feels like forever ago. Fabio Tavares began life at Coventry City in the Under-21 side, where his goalscoring feats drew growing attention from the fanbase, and led to him making senior appearances in his first full season with the team. The quality of the sole goal he scored that season, against Preston right at the death, only led to further salivation from his cheerleaders. Despite this, his development was still carefully managed by Mark Robins, who only gave him appearances seemingly out of necessity during injury dilemmas, before eventually succumbing to a severe injury himself as the club suffered the ignominy of FA Cup defeat to Wrexham.

The 2023-24 season was as good as it got for Tavares. Following a quiet return to the side against Stoke, on the right wing, in a rare start, Tavares’ next game saw him bag against a brace against that season’s FA Cup fairytale in Maidstone United. Another late goal soon after in a league game against lowly Rotherham proved to be his last for the club. There was still time for Tavares to make a considerably impressive cameo, on the biggest stage. Coming off the Wembley bench against Manchester United in the cup’s semi-final match, Tavares started the team’s remarkable comeback with a wicked cross that Ellis Simms diverted in. He then continued to drive at his full-back, even showcasing a naughty moment of skill that sadly resulted in him being on the end of a challenge that forced him off again. A career highlight despite the disappointment in the end.

There is no denying that Fabio Tavares has very good technique when striking the football, as he is an accomplished finisher who can also consistenly deliver good crosses when out wide. He just happens to lack anything resembling a physical presence, and doesn’t yet have the touch required to compensate for it. There is a small section of the fanbase that still believes he is good enough for the Championship, but in spite of the few highlights his Coventry career has provided, it is probably undeniable that his transfer to Burton Albion proves that he is not a player of the quality that the club can afford to keep hold of as we aim to compete at the top end of the Championship.

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If there was one word that could really sum up the Coventry City attack this season, it would have to be ‘frustrating’. Never settling on an outright first-choice for much of the season, as each player suffered from erratic form, a changing of the guard in the dugout, and numerous tactical shifts. It is really only Haji Wright that has emerged from the end of the season with any sort of enviable numbers in terms of goal contributions.

We now go into the summer with two strikers at a crossroad in their Coventry careers in Simms and Thomas-Asante, one who is as prolific as he is erratic in Wright, and one who needs to go out on loan before truly staking his claim in Bassette.

As much as the desire for the club to improve its defensive personnel has persisted for over a year now, there is suddenly a need for it to also seek improvements at the business end. It is a risk for the club to maintain its faith in the current crop, as it could easily backfire if the players in question have another disappointing time of it next time around. The likelihood is that at least one striker will be cashed in on while they still are able to command a fee, before the club invests in someone else to lay the expecation on. Simply put; goals win games, and strikers are expected to score goals. If we want to achieve more than what we already have over the last few years, we need the strikers capable of putting the ball away consistently.

I miss Vik.