A Dann Good Deal

Scott Dann

The transfer window is a mere 14 days old, yet we have already seen several truly sensational moves. The likes of Sterling, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin top the bill of movers so far, but perhaps the most underrated signing of the window is a player who has decided to remain at his current club. 

28-year-old centre half Scott Dann is a real footballing success story, having progressed through every professional league in England. Following a successful first full season at Premier League Crystal Palace, the defender has signed a new five-year contract despite rumoured interest from Everton - a sign perhaps of Palace’s heightened ambitions. 

The 6′5″ scouser incorporates the old school defensive attributes of strength, power, commitment and heading durability with the traits that are expected of a modern day centre half. An accomplished passer of the ball, Dann is also comfortable in possession, agile and most importantly, a natural leader having captained several of his clubs.  

In action for Coventry City

Having developed these skills during spells at Walsall, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers, it is fair to say that Dann has had a gradual, yet impressive rise to the top. A League Two title winner at Walsall, Dann’s classy displays alerted the attention of Coventry manager Iain Dowie, who took both Dann and his teammate Danny Fox - formerly of Burnley, Celtic and Southampton - to Walsall’s West Midland rivals. 

More of the same consistent performances allowed Dann to further his career with Premier League Birmingham City and subsequently Blackburn Rovers. In the past he has been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, but the big money move has strangely never materialised. Everton reportedly made an £8 million bid for Dann, seen by some on Merseyside as a long term replacement to the ageing Phil Jagielka. A boyhood Liverpool fan, for me Dann possesses the ability to step up another level. 

Whether or not the opportunity of European football arises, there is another standard of football that Dann should have already been exposed to - the international stage. A top draw English centre half is a rarity these days, gone are the times when recognised players such as Jamie Carragher struggled to get in the England team. 

The supposed heirs to the thrones of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand - Phil Jones and Chris Smalling - continue to underperform when given their chance for England and Manchester United. They both have ability, but neither of them are able to put together a string of confident performances. There is an inability to manage the pressures of playing for the biggest club in England when it comes to Smalling and Jones, which is evident in their frantic displays at centre half - a stark contrast to the composed nature of Dann’s game. 

Johnson and Dann formed a formidable
partnership during the 2009/2010
Premier League season

Phil Jagielka has exceeded the expectations many had for his career - probably even his own - but  the Everton man who will be 33 in August, just isn’t cut out for International football anymore. His centre half partner John Stones is undeniably an exciting talent and future England starter, but should be allowed to develop before being thrown in at the deep end of international football. 

Parallels can be drawn between the career’s of Dann and the undisputed holder of one of the England centre half berths, Gary Cahill. Cahill was deemed surplus to requirements at Villa Park in 2008 and thus moved to Bolton Wanderers to build on what had been a promising career. 130 games later and he was the subject of a £7 million move to Chelsea, like Dann he was a creditable, solid centre half, but not necessarily top four, Champions League or England quality - although he did make his England debut prior to the Chelsea move. He has since gone on to become all of those things and a Champions League winner no less. 

With this in mind Dann needs to be given a chance by Roy Hodgson, frankly he has been overlooked for far too long. Given Hodgson’s questionable selections of late, Dann might have to rely on impressing Gary Neville on Monday Night Football again, as he did in Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win over Manchester City in April. For now at least, he will have to be content with being one of the best central defenders in the Premier League - as Crystal Palace fans will attest to. 

He's been England class for years Roy!

Ruben Lameiras - The Highlights

Portuguese trialist Ruben Lameiras impressed all in attendance during Saturday's friendly draw with Nuneaton at Liberty Way.

Some concerns were raised over what Tony Mowbray called his 'slight' build, and as a result Lameiras will continue to be monitored by Mowbray and the backroom staff. 

In the last hour a video has surfaced online which showcases the 20-year-old's performances for the Tottenham youth sides. 

Good enough for League One? Judge for yourself:

 

Raheem Sterling - A dreem move for all

After witnessing the artistry on show throughout the Wimbledon Men’s final which culminated in a second successive title for the seemingly unstoppable Novak Djokovic, many like myself were contemplating a typical summer Sunday evening without the joys of Premier League football to watch, discuss and enjoy. However, one of League’s most talented youngsters had other ideas. 

That way to Manchester

Just as those on Twitter had finished complementing the impeccable Serb on his victory over Roger Federer, an explosion erupted. Raheem Sterling was the catalyst for an outpouring of opinion, not because of a sublime piece of skill or an astute finish, but the completion a £49 million move from Liverpool to Manchester City - which epitomises the tedious nature of English football’s off-season. 

Social media’s elite had contrasting views on Sterling, Liverpool and Manchester City:

Cleary the move has divided opinion, but for me this is a transfer that benefits all parties, well nearly all of them. For the player at the heart of it all, it marks the end of a testing period in what is an embryonic career. Sterling and his notorious agent Aidy Ward have come in for a formidable amount of criticism, a lot of it warranted. However, the shameless behaviour - which included that awkward interview - is now in the past and they have achieved their desired end result, whether this would have happened without Ward’s antics is a debate that will run and run. 

Away from the monetary issues, Sterling finds himself at a club in which his development should be accelerated. In essence he has swapped the likes of Henderson, Lallana and Coutinho for Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Augero - a staggering difference in standard. We all witnessed the influence a similar world class talent - Luis Suarez - had on Sterling’s game and City have a team of them. The guarantee of Champions League football is another luxury he would have missed out on by remaining at Liverpool.  

It’s far from doom and gloom at Anfield however, as Liverpool fans have been quite quick to point out. For the second season running they’ve acquired a monstrous sum of money for a single player, which should be - or more to the point, needs to be - reinvested in the team. If FSG and Rodgers can avoid a repeat of last summer’s mistakes, they may just be able to strengthen a side that is once again struggling to live up to the fans' expectations. The likes of Firmino, Milner, Ings and Clyne are a creditable start, but additions are required in order to usurp a Champions League place from the current holders. 

"You have it, no you have"

With Manchester City needing at least five homegrown players to meet the necessary quota of eight, Sterling will at the very least fill one of these spots. To suggest that this is the motive behind the move is incredibly harsh on Sterling and somewhat flatters an ageing City side in need of revitalising. City’s squad has severely lacked pace - barring the inconsistent Jesus Navas - in the last couple of seasons, which doesn’t help when the average age of their squad is between 28 and 29. The likes of Toure, Silva, Nasri and Fernandinho are all very one-paced and whilst Sergio Aguero is no slouch, the direct running and pace of Sterling will only benefit City’s creative quartet. David Silva especially, will enjoy linking up with a player willing to gamble on his exquisite through balls. 

England manager Roy Hodgson will no doubt be relieved that one of his key players can return to concentrating on football. Hodgson’s use of Sterling has been an admirable act during an otherwise underwhelming time in charge of the national side and if Hodgson and England are to achieve anything in France next year, they will need Sterling to shine. An injury free season at City is a must for England’s hopes, as well as lots of rest in between games to avoid another bout of tiredness that ‘impeded’ Sterling last October. 

There is one man that the move both benefits and hinders, the uber-confident Brendan Rodgers. Now that the Sterling saga has ended, the spotlight shines solely on Liverpool’s under-fire manager. Many were surprised that Rodgers wasn’t sacked following the humiliating defeat to Stoke on the last day of the season. In an age where managers have a short lifespan, the Liverpool board have to be commended for sticking by their man, however the pressure is now back on. A poor start to the season and Rodgers career - not just as Liverpool manager - could be in serious trouble.  

All things considered this is a move that satisfies the needs of all involved. Despite the ludicrous price tag - which like many transfers these days, is somewhat irrelevant and no longer represents the actually value of a player - Sterling has such a level of potential, that one day he could well be worth it. 

"One last hug for luck Raheem"

Nuneaton Town 0-0 Coventry City - A tactical insight

Following an exciting week in which we witnessed some astute purchases in the transfer market, the culmination of the Reda Johnson contract saga and the much anticipated away kit reveal, we were subjected to 90 minutes of stereo-typical exhibition style football at the less than aesthetically pleasing Liberty Way. 

Something of a pre-season tradition was prematurely ended last July due to an intense wind and rain storm, unfortunately we weren’t afforded that luxury this year. There were brief moments of action - more so in the first than second half - but more fascinating was the emergence of Tony Mowbray’s true tactical philosophy. 

There are many ways to progress out of League One. This was evident last season as Bristol City, MK Dons and Preston were promoted having played three contrasting styles of football. We narrowly avoided going in the opposite direction, deploying a no-nonsense 4-4-2 in the last part of the season. 

It transpired today that Mowbray has returned to a style previously used at Middlesbrough, the modern system of 4-2-3-1. City fans will recall Mark Robins implementing a similar style during his short stint as manager, but it was a slightly rigid 4-2-2-1-1 as it was described at the time.

The defensive midfield pairing of any 4-2-3-1 based side are vital to the potential success of the system. Mowbray hinted after the game that new signing Romain Vincelot would accompany John Fleck in the role, undoubtedly our strongest midfield pairing. 

The duo will be expected to offer protection to the back four, whilst at the same time maintaining possession and beginning attacks. Vincelot’s engine and defensive qualities should complement Fleck’s range of passing, resulting in an effective barrier between attack and defence. 

James Maddison was vocal in his appreciation of Mowbray’s attacking philosophy after the game: “The manager is trying to drill his philosophy into us and how he wants to play. I like the way he sees the game, it's an attacking way and it's how I enjoy playing.” (Courtesy of ccfc.co.uk). 

After admitting that he favoured the number ten role, Maddison - the most naturally gifted player in the squad - must play there this season to generate the central creativity that the system requires. 

With the defensive unit almost sorted - some deliberation may be had on the goalkeeping situation after Reice Charles-Cook’s confident clean-sheet - Mowbray will now turn his attention to fine tuning the offensive side of the squad. Having another look at Ruben Lameiras should be the first port of call, whilst sending Roussel Ngankam back to Botosani is a no-brainer. 

Coventry City - What needs to be done (on the pitch that is)

Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus

With the transfer window now officially open and after witnessing the drivel being spewed from the mouth’s of many an irate City fan as to why messieurs Mowbray and Venus have yet to make a signing, I’ve decided to unveil my ‘sky-blueprints’ for the season ahead. Mowbray has dispensed with the deadwood from last season, some of whom may have flourished had they not spent the majority of their time here under Steven Pressley’s watch - but that is a debate for another day. 

Adam Barton, Simeon Jackson, Frank Nouble, Shaun Miller, Blair Turgott, Danny Pugh, Andrew Webster and Al Bangura have all departed the club this summer, leaving the squad with a fair few spaces to fill. Undoubtedly we possess the basis of a competitive team, but admittedly we do need to strengthen. Rather than identify candidates for the vacant roles, I’ll address the areas that need to be bolstered. 

Specific parallels can be drawn between the form of current first choice keeper Lee Burge and the results of the club last season, namely the inconsistent nature of both. Inconsistency is a formality for keeper’s during the infancy of their careers and with this in mind, I’m not that worried about Burge’s place in the squad. However both Burge and Reice Charles-Cook - a talented player by all accounts - would benefit from an experienced professional between the sticks, as would the club.  

There are a multitude of reasons why we underperformed last season - which I am sure the Coventry Telegraph have had an online poll on, so I won’t go into them. However one of the main reasons was frustratingly down to individual defensive errors, despite this there are two individuals that should be permanent fixtures in the first team going into next season. 

Aaron Phillips endeared himself to the Sky Blues faithful after lashing in the equaliser against Wolves at Molineux back in 2013 and has since gone on to make a number of impressive appearances at right back. Whilst ‘Haynes Mania’ was slowly but surely unravelling, young Aaron was unassumingly going about his business. 

He was replaced towards the end of the season by the more defensively minded Jordan Willis, but Phillips is definitely the way forward. He confidently overcomes his lack of aerial presence through his tenacity, and his level of technical ability allows him to maintain composure when in possession unlike Willis - who in all fairness is more suited to centre half. 

At the age of 27 Reda Johnson is one of three players the team should be built around. There are issues surrounding both his fitness and disciplinary record, but pound for pound he was one of our most impressive performers last year and as he enters what should be the peak years of his career, we need to make the most of his influence. Johnson exudes leadership and confidence, characteristics needed when a high percentage of your squad is young. He is currently out of contract, hopefully this won’t be the case for much longer. 

What he requires is a defensive partner that can match his ability and physicality. In terms of effort, the performances of Aaron Martin cannot be faulted, however he was responsible on more than one occasion for the individual defensive errors that caused us such distress. His resilient performance against Crawley in the final game of the season, highlights the ‘on his day’ manner of the former Southampton man’s game, deeming him sufficient enough for a place on the bench. The same indictment can be levelled at Jordan Willis, with his technical ability leaving a lot to be desired. 

Cast your mind back to the glorious night of the ‘Ricoh Return’, when 27,306 people collectively gasped in amazement at wonder-boy Ryan Haynes running down the wing and floating a ball into the box. For whatever reason, be it loss of confidence, failing to adapt to the physical requirements of first team football or just simply being another overrated academy graduate, Haynes lost his way over the season. 

That’s not to say his Coventry City career has completely flatlined, but yesterday’s signing of Chris Stokes means that Haynes should be on the periphery of the squad this season. I’m not overly enamoured by the Bolton youth academy graduate and ideally another left back should be signed, but realistically this won’t happen. That being said a full professional pre-season will only help Stokes, who performed commendably during last season.

Traditionally Tony Mowbray has been a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 or a flexible 4-4-2 man with the basic principle of playing effective passing football. Since his arrival we haven’t seen much evidence of this, with a fixed 4-4-2 system being deployed. I would be very surprised if Mowbray had abandoned his footballing principles in favour of the out-of-date, rigid 4-4-2, moreover it seems that rather than overcomplicate things for the squad he inherited, he saw 4-4-2 as a temporary solution for staving off relegation. 

Basing the midfield selection on the 4-2-3-1 system it is clear that some work needs to be done. The second of the three players the team should be built around is John Fleck, with 139 appearances to his name - the highest of the current squad - he continues to get criticised for his lack of goals, when frankly, goalscoring isn’t his game. 

Fleck is comfortable in possession, he has an astute eye for a pass both long and short and he’s hard in the tackle, meaning he is the dictionary definition of a ‘holding-midfield’ player. He needs to be allowed to sit in front of the defence and dictate the play, rather than being used in a flat midfield two, out wide or behind the striker where he is ineffective due to his lack of pace. 

To accompany Fleck in this defensive role it is imperative that we sign a midfield destroyer, tall, physical, agile, quick, the kind of player that will take a booking for a cynical foul. Simply put,  everything that Conor Thomas and Jack Finch are not. Much has been said about 18-year-old Ivor Lawton, but without ever watching him play - apart from at Primary School - I’ll reserve judgement on him and the rest of the new academy graduates. 

The advanced midfield three will be made up of two wingers and a central attacking midfielder - that’s a number 10 for those of us who aren’t privy to the language of the FIFA generation of football fans. After an impressive debut season, Jim O’Brien is probably the first name on Mowbray’s team sheet for the new season. 

O’Brien’s industrious performances - which combined effective wing-play and the odd long range goal - saw him collect the Player of the Season award. It’s hard to critique Jim, but it is necessary to question both his creativeness and delivery from out wide, which can be a bit haphazard. The need for pace and cleverness is an obvious, yet required request - I’ll just stop all those who are currently screaming: “CARL BAKER” at their computer/tablet/phone screens, get over it, wipe away the tears, he wasn’t that good and he’s long gone. 

James Maddison completes the triumvirate of players the team should be built around. There is no need to overcomplicate the analysis of Maddison, he’s a bloody good player and could well go on to be a bloody great player. For now at least he is ours and we should utilise him effectively. He could be used out wide or as the lone striker, but his ability on the ball means that he is made for the number 10 role. Rather than be in and out of the game on the wing, or overpowered physically as the lone striker, allow him the time and space that a player with his potential requires. Do so and he will surely thrive and subsequently move to the Premier League in the near future.  

The return of Danny Swanson has been met with mixed reactions by City fans, but whatever your personal view it is clear to see that there is a player there, even if we have yet to see it. Intermittently and incorrectly used by Pressley, Swanson will have the number 10 role in his sights and competition for places can only be a positive. O’Brien and Swanson are fantastic options to have, but the need for pace and creativity cannot be stressed enough, the talent is out there and it is for Mowbray and Venus to find it. 

Marcus Tudgay should always be appreciated by City fans for that goal against Crawley which prevented us from sinking to new, horrifying lows. He has duly been granted a new one year deal and will work as an effective impact player off the bench. More forwards are quite evidently needed and rather than taking on the likes of Nouble, Jackson and a array of failed loan forwards - not including Dominic Samuel - we should look at League 2 and Non-League, where ‘gems’ continue to be found. I’m not even talking about the likes of Charlie Austin et al, a player of his quality isn’t needed in a league that is in a continuous decline in terms of quality. 

The basis of the team:

GK: New Player (Replacement: Lee Burge/Reice Charles-Cook)

RB: Aaron Phillips (Replacement: Jordan Willis/Dion Kelly-Evans)

CB: New Player (Replacement: Aaron Martin)

CB: Reda Johnson (Replacement: Jordan Willis/Cian Harries)

LB: Chris Stokes (Replacement: Ryan Haynes)

CDM: New Player (Replacement: Conor Thomas/Jack Finch/Ivor Lawton)

CDM: John Fleck (Replacement: Conor Thomas/Jack Finch/Ivor Lawton)

RW: Jim O’Brien (Replacement: New Player)

CAM: James Maddison (Replacement: Danny Swanson/George Thomas)

LW: New Player (Replacement: Danny Swanson/Kyle Spence/Devon Kelly-Evans)

ST: New Player(s) (Replacement: Marcus Tudgay)

Acquire what is needed and a successful season beckons. Instead of returning to the negative ways that are a depressing theme of our club, be patient and allow Tony Mowbray and his backroom staff to do their jobs. The time to panic about signings or a lack of, is not now. We finally have a man in charge who, if anything, is over qualified for the job. What he and the squad need is your unwavering support as we enter a new season. 

In Mogga we trust