Struggling Coventry sack manager Robins

Coventry City brag Mark Robins, the English Football League's longest serving manager, has been sacked by the Championship club.

Robins, 54, was successful his 2nd spell arsenic Sky Blues boss, having returned to the nine successful March 2017 aft the sacking of Russell Slade.

His departure successful the aftermath of Wednesday's decision by Derby County comes aft conscionable 4 wins successful 14 Championship games this play that leaves the Sky Blues 17th successful the array and adjacent connected points with Plymouth successful the relegation spots.

Robins' sacking comes conscionable implicit 17 months since helium got the Sky Blues to wrong 1 triumph of a Premier League return, with Coventry beaten by Luton Town connected penalties successful the Championship play-off last successful May 2023.

And it was lone successful April that Coventry were denied a spot successful the FA Cup last by Manchester United connected penalties aft a stunning turnaround from 3-0 down by Robins' side.

"The nine is good alert that this is simply a hard infinitesimal aft implicit 7 precise palmy years astatine the helm and this determination is not taken lightly," Coventry City said successful a statement connected their website., external

"The show of the squad implicit an extended period, however, has conscionable not been bully capable and arsenic specified the committee of the nine has decided to marque an contiguous alteration successful leadership."

While decision by Derby was Coventry's seventh successful the league this season, it was their archetypal successful 4 games - a tally that included back-to-back wins against Luton Town and Middlesbrough.

First-team manager Rhys Carr has been placed successful interim complaint for Saturday's crippled against leaders Sunderland.

Former Manchester United striker Robins signed a caller four-year declaration successful May 2023, but helium was forced to portion with his long-time fig 2 Adi Viveash this summer, arsenic the nine appointed ex-Sky Blues midfielder George Boateng and Wolves improvement manager Carr to signifier a reshaped backroom team.

In the apical 4 tiers of English football, lone Manchester City's Pep Guardiola has lasted longer than Robins' 7 years, 8 months and 1 day.

Simon Weaver has spent 15 years with Harrogate Town, but astir of it earlier the League Two nine entered the EFL.

Former Rotherham, Barnsley, Huddersfield and Scunthorpe manager Robins has taken complaint of 780 matches successful his managerial vocation - much than fractional of which person been with the Sky Blues.

He enjoyed 171 wins successful 420 games astatine the helm, of which 17 came successful his archetypal play successful complaint betwixt September 2012, erstwhile helium succeeded Andy Thorn, and February 2013, erstwhile Robins near to articulation Huddersfield.

Coventry's struggles astatine the commencement of this run are successful marked opposition to the occurrence mostly experienced successful Robins' 2nd spell.

A period aft replacing Slade, Robins took City to Wembley, winning the EFL Trophy, earlier returning to the stadium for the League Two play-off final, which they won, beating Exeter 3-1, to triumph promotion to League One.

The club's archetypal promotion successful much than fractional a period was past followed by different successful 2019-20 arsenic the 'homeless' Sky Blues won the League One rubric successful the Covid-curtailed play astatine their basal astatine Birmingham City's St Andrew's disconnected the backmost of a 14-game unbeaten run.

After finishing 16th and 12th, Coventry came wrong 1 crippled of ending their past 22-year exile from the Premier League erstwhile they mislaid to Luton successful the Championship play-off last astatine Wembley.

Then came past season's tally successful the FA Cup wherever they mislaid an epic semi-final to eventual winners Manchester United successful the club's 4th sojourn to Wembley nether Robins.

Much of Robins' occurrence was achieved contempt years of uncertainty and upheaval disconnected the tract that culminated successful a alteration of ownership of the club's landlords astatine the CBS Arena followed by the merchantability of the nine itself to businessman Doug King successful January 2023.

In their connection announcing Robins’ departure, Coventry said helium would beryllium "remembered and lauded arsenic 1 of the club's top ever managers".

"There is nary uncertainty that Coventry City would not beryllium wherever it is contiguous without the inspired actions of Mark and his team," the connection continued.

"Mark masterminded and built respective teams implicit that clip that outperformed their budget, outperformed their infrastructure and brought backmost a playing style, credibility and content to our City that had been mislaid and eroded implicit galore years.

"These achievements volition ne'er beryllium forgotten by those who witnessed specified deeds and the broader assemblage that erstwhile again began to rekindle their affection for our club."

Last season's faltering situation for a play-off spot came disconnected the backmost of City's FA Cup exploits arsenic a tally of 1 constituent from the past six games near the nine 9 points disconnected the apical six, successful ninth.

Nevertheless, anticipation going into this run was high, backed up by grounds season-ticket sales, a revamp of the grooming facilities and respective caller signings, including winger Jack Rudoni from Huddersfield and West Bromwich Albion striker Brandon Thomas-Asante.

But Robins' broadside struggled. A triumph against promoted Oxford successful their archetypal location crippled of the play was 1 of lone 2 from their archetypal 11 league matches.

However, a little turnaround successful form, which included beating a Luton broadside that was relegated from the Premier League past play and a broad triumph astatine Middlesbrough, was not capable to prevention his job.