Mark Robins has done and is still doing one of the better jobs in the EFL at Coventry City.

Robins took over the Sky Blues at a very difficult time as they plummeted into League Two in 2017. To have them now competing as recognised play-off contenders in the Championship is an amazing feat and one that does not get the credit it deserves.

Finally back at the CBS Arena Coventry are going from strength to strength and are easily one of the most exciting teams to follow in the second tier this season.

How's it gone so far?

Incredibly well.

Robins earned promotion from League Two at the first time of asking via the play-offs in 2017/18 before only needing two seasons to kick on from League One. Coventry won the third tier title on points per game in 2019/20 and then eventually stayed up comfortably by 12 points back in the second tier last season.

This was achieved with the club playing at St Andrew's away from a lot of their supporters. Which was not as crucial with the 2020/21 campaign largely played behind closed doors but it would have been a strange experience for the manager and a lot of the players.

Returning to the CBS Arena this term has been great to see and the Sky Blues have won six and drawn one from their opening seven home league games.

What issues does he face?

Sometimes we see managers relieved off their duties at a club with the feeling that they had become a victim of their own success.

Coventry have exceeded the vast majority of people's expectations this season, a small concern could be that Robins has now set the bar too high and that for example being involved in a relegation battle or finishing in the bottom half of the Championship would be deemed as a failure.

Robins needs to harness this momentum and keep the supporters onside to sustain the Sky Blues' place in and around the top six this season.

What's next?

 

 

Before this spell with Coventry, Robins' reputation as a manager was not very high, hence why he found himself operating in League Two.

The job he has done suggests that a crack at the Premier League will present itself in the coming years either with the Sky Blues or another club. It will be very interesting to see just how far he can take Coventry and if he can complete an incredible rise from the Football League's bottom tier to the English top-flight.