Rival Watch

[From Despair To Where?]

Given the season ends the first weekend in May and there's a month off in the middle, I don't see the postponed games doing Coventry any favours.

[Zip]

I answered a few topics from WBA fans about Joao`s potential transfer on twitter yesterday now I`ve got WBA topics all over my timeline .
How do i stop it????

Embrace it Windy and become a Baggies fan

[NathStPaul]

I have a lot of sympathy for Coventry after the crap they have had to put up with over the last few years, but after two cancelled games, any further games after that should just be awarded a 3-0 win to the opposition.

Problem with that is it isn't fair on the other teams in the league. We might go to Coventry and lose whilst Huddersfield benefit. Think a points deduction for Coventry is the only fair thing to do.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I have a lot of sympathy for Coventry after the crap they have had to put up with over the last few years, but after two cancelled games, any further games after that should just be awarded a 3-0 win to the opposition.

Problem with that is it isn't fair on the other teams in the league. We might go to Coventry and lose whilst Huddersfield benefit. Think a points deduction for Coventry is the only fair thing to do.

Agree re points deduction, penalise them.

[Stranded]

Preston games seem like a bit if a slog this year.

4 0-0 draws and a 1-0 win at Luton. Incredible defence to not have conceded but 450 mins of football to date with 1 goal to show for it.

[Crowbar6753]

Preston games seem like a bit if a slog this year.

4 0-0 draws and a 1-0 win at Luton. Incredible defence to not have conceded but 450 mins of football to date with 1 goal to show for it.

Its that new 8-1-1 formation, great for not conceding yet a bit tough on the one player 50 yards away from the rest of his mates

[Hound]

They looked quite good on the highlights, keeper made some good saves against them

But yes quite funny anyway. If ever a game was going to be a 0-0 it was that one

[Stranded]

They looked quite good on the highlights, keeper made some good saves against them

But yes quite funny anyway. If ever a game was going to be a 0-0 it was that one

Agreed that they are looking fairly decent but with a run like this, how it ends will be pivotal. If they win 2-0 at Cardiff next week, you start to think they are on to something. If the run breaks with a comfortable 2-0 Cardiff win, they you worry if they have enough about them.

PNE fans seem to think they may be getting Archer again from Villa, now Sarr is heading there, would certainly help them.

[3points]

Cov may have financial issues coming along. They will have to pay to rent / play at other club's grounds, expect they will get lower attendances and potentially won't benefit from match day income like food & beverage either from the ground they rent. Their owners are particularly well known for sticking their hands in their pockets either.

However, if Wasps truly are financially knackered then the owners may be able to buy the rights to the ground again which would improve their overall finances

[Hound]

Bit of interesting transfer news floating about

Brereton-Diaz sounds like he’s told Blackburn he wants to leave - either now or at the end of this season. Fair chance he’ll go this week I suspect

The Sarr to Villa move (with Archer and Hause going the other way) also seems to have broken down. Think that would have been a good deal for Watford actually

[Stranded]

Bit of interesting transfer news floating about

Brereton-Diaz sounds like he’s told Blackburn he wants to leave - either now or at the end of this season. Fair chance he’ll go this week I suspect

The Sarr to Villa move (with Archer and Hause going the other way) also seems to have broken down. Think that would have been a good deal for Watford actually

Hause still expected to sign for Watford on loan for the season.

[3points]

Watford probably won't let all three of Dennis, Joao Pedro and Sarr leave. JP is a target for Newcastle and Dennis went to Forest

[Stranded]

Watford probably won't let all three of Dennis, Joao Pedro and Sarr leave. JP is a target for Newcastle and Dennis went to Forest

They will let them all go - Sarr only hasn't because of the structure of the deal and wanting more than Villa are happy to pay. Pedro will be a Newcastle player before the month is out.

Watford will have pretty much expected all 3 to leave, so will be a bonus if one doesn't. How their season goes will hinge on how well they spend the money.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I have a lot of sympathy for Coventry after the crap they have had to put up with over the last few years, but after two cancelled games, any further games after that should just be awarded a 3-0 win to the opposition.

Problem with that is it isn't fair on the other teams in the league. We might go to Coventry and lose whilst Huddersfield benefit. Think a points deduction for Coventry is the only fair thing to do.

Agree re points deduction, penalise them.

How far does it have to go for a points deduction to be considered? Is this game 3 postponed now?

[Mr Angry]

Problem with that is it isn't fair on the other teams in the league. We might go to Coventry and lose whilst Huddersfield benefit. Think a points deduction for Coventry is the only fair thing to do.

Agree re points deduction, penalise them.

How far does it have to go for a points deduction to be considered? Is this game 3 postponed now?

As always with the EFL, nothing is black & white.

I found this from the local Coventry newspaper:

Coventry City are yet to find out the full extent of the punishment they will face from the English Football League for the failure to fulfil their first three home games of the Championship season. But the true cost of the Sky Blues CBS Arena pitch crisis could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds as well as affect manager Mark Robins’ ability to strengthen his squad with one more signing before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

Competition rules state clubs can expect fines and, in a worst case scenario, a points deduction for failing to play scheduled fixtures. Rotherham United were hit with substantial fines, understood to be around £400,000, after postponing several matches due to being unable to field a team due to Covid-19 cases back in 2021.

The Sky Blues have stated that the EFL have been supportive of their plight amid the current pitch crisis at the Coventry Building Society Arena, which was finally resolved this week with the news that both stadium owners Wasps and the football club have reached an agreement for a six-figure investment in high-tech repair work which will make good the damaged playing field following the rugby sevens matches played during the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Both parties now hope the pitch will be safe and playable in time for City’s next scheduled home game after this weekend, which will be against Preston North End on Wednesday, August 31.

The EFL touched on the fact that sanctions can be expected against the club in a statement this week, which said: “The primary objective for the EFL is to get Coventry City playing at the CBS Arena as soon as the pitch is in a safe condition for the participants. It is only then that the league will consider the collective circumstances of each postponement before determining what course of action could be taken in accordance with the Regulations.”

CoventryLive understands that the punishment will be determined at the EFL’s next scheduled board meeting, with hopes that they will take a lenient view of the situation, which the football club say has been out of their hands.

Even if that’s the case, City are expected to still be looking at a six-figure fine, believed to be somewhere in the region of £100,000.

That fee is then expected to be passed onto Wasps RFC as part of a sizeable compensation claim that could include the loss of earnings from the three postponed games against Rotherham United, Wigan Athletic and Huddersfield Town, and the cost of having to relocate the Carabao Cup tie with Bristol City to Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium.

The postponements, as well as having a detrimental effect on Mark Robins’ team’s early season momentum – having left the Sky Blues languishing at bottom of the league after being able to play only two league games to date while their rivals will have played five by the the end of this coming weekend – will have severely hit the club’s short-term cashflow from the matchday earnings from weekend fixtures which were expected to draw in crowds of over 20,000 amid a season of a record 13,000 plus season tickets.

City have also forked out - although it’s not know exactly how much - part of the six-figure sum it has cost for the ‘turf and stitch’ repair work currently being undertaken at the CBS Arena.

All of those costs, CoventryLive understands, are expected to have a knock-on effect to Robins’ ability to bring in a fifth and final summer signing before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

[Stranded]

Watford probably won't let all three of Dennis, Joao Pedro and Sarr leave. JP is a target for Newcastle and Dennis went to Forest

They will let them all go - Sarr only hasn't because of the structure of the deal and wanting more than Villa are happy to pay. Pedro will be a Newcastle player before the month is out.

Watford will have pretty much expected all 3 to leave, so will be a bonus if one doesn't. How their season goes will hinge on how well they spend the money.

Fabrizio Romano, the transfer guru, saying this evening that Pedro to Newcastle is done. Watford are about to have a lot of money but no strike force.

Wonder if they'll look to stick a large bid our way for Joao.

[NathStPaul]

Watford probably won't let all three of Dennis, Joao Pedro and Sarr leave. JP is a target for Newcastle and Dennis went to Forest

They will let them all go - Sarr only hasn't because of the structure of the deal and wanting more than Villa are happy to pay. Pedro will be a Newcastle player before the month is out.

Watford will have pretty much expected all 3 to leave, so will be a bonus if one doesn't. How their season goes will hinge on how well they spend the money.

Fabrizio Romano, the transfer guru, saying this evening that Pedro to Newcastle is done. Watford are about to have a lot of money but no strike force.

Wonder if they'll look to stick a large bid our way for Joao.

Not sure he's what they want unless they change shape and playing style, they've been used to nippy strikers for a while now. Also think they could do a lot better given their financial prowess.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yeah I'll be surprised if Joao is the answer given their wealth, they could go and get someone better potentially.

It'll be a tough ask replacing those 3 as they have looked dangerous so far, they will probably end up pulling someone from overseas however.

[Stranded]

Watford sell Hassane Kamara to Udinese for €16m.

Udinese then loan him straight back.

For those unaware, the Pozzi family own both clubs.

[Silver Fox]

Ponzi more like