Coventry City 2 Leicester City 0: Coleman swaps sun for Sky Blue thinking
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Your support makes all the difference.On Saturday, the forecast for San Sebastian was 19C and sunny. In Coventry it was 12 degrees at best, windy and overcast. The Ricoh Stadium is nowhere near the beach, while Chris Coleman's previous club, Real Sociedad, is close to one of the most scenic coastal areas of the Basque country. We know that Coleman did not swap northern Spain for the Midlands in the hope of better weather, and in footballing terms he has traded down as well.
While Sociedad are near the top of the Spanish Second Division, and looking at promotion, Coleman simply sees survival in the Championship as an achievement this season.
But his move was about a better working environment inside boardrooms and Coleman was clear about what it takes for him to feel happy at a club. He said: "My relationship with the chairman [Ray Ranson] is key. If the harmony isn't right upstairs, that filters down into the changing rooms. I have been very impressed with what the chairman has had to say. He is realistic in his approach. The club needs help and we need good relationships between the board, the staff and the players – if you don't have that you will fail. We won't agree on everything but we've agreed on the most important thing and that's taking the club forward."
They took some steps forward on Saturday. Having seen Iain Dowie sacked and the team then lose 5-0 at home to West Bromwich in the FA Cup, the fans were not convinced enough to sell out the Ricoh, although Coleman – the club's fifth manager in a little over four years – received a rousing ovation. Losing midfielder Stephen Hughes to concussion in the first minute did not help, but a generous penalty, converted by Elliott Ward, and a strike by Leon Best, against the run of play, let the Sky Blues leapfrog their local rivals.
Goals: Ward pen (32) 1-0; Best (79) 2-0
Coventry City (4-5-1): Marshall; Osbourne, Ward, Hall, Fox; Mifsud, M Hughes, S Hughes (Thornton, 7), Tabb, Gray (Andrews, 87); Best (Simpson, 83). Substitutes not used: Konstantopoulos (gk), Dann.
Leicester City (4-4-2): Alnwick; Chambers, McAuley (N'Gotty, 51), Kisnorbo, Clapham (Hayles, 82); Hume, Oakley, Clemence, Laczko (Mattock, h-t); Campbell, Howard. Substitutes not used: Fryatt, Stearman.
Referee: K Stroud (Hampshire).
Booked: Coventry City Thornton, Best; Leicester City Clemence.
Man of the match: Ward.
Attendance: 23,129.
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