Coventry City

Sky Blues staff to stay for now
New Coventry manager Chris Coleman has told his backroom staff there will be no further immediate changes following the appointment of his assistant. Coleman has brought in Steve Kean, who was previously his number two at both Fulham and Real Sociedad. Coach Frankie Bunn and performance manager John Harbin are likely to stay for at least the rest of the season. "We'll do the best we can until the summer and then if we think we can add staff we'll do so," said Coleman. But Welshman Coleman admits there are likely to be changes in the long term. "We need to go down a different direction otherwise we may as well have had Iain Dowie still here," he said. Coleman believes Kean will help him develop a good working relationship with his players. "He's got a lot of experience as a coach and the players will enjoy working with Steve," added Coleman. "He understands me and knows me very well. Sometimes you can get too close to the players and I think that's dangerous. "Steve can do that but I can't and he's very good at what he does."

Coventry to release eight players
Coventry City have confirmed that they will release eight out-of-contract players at the end of the season. Arjan de Zeeuw, Michael Hughes, Colin Hawkins, Stuart Giddings, Ellery Cairo, Wayne Andrews, Lee Hildreth and Liam Davis will leave the Championship club. David McNamee, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, could follow at the end of the season. But Marcus Hall, Stephen Hughes, Danny Ireland and Andy Marshall will all be offered new deals at the Ricoh. Of the players to be released by Coventry boss Chris Coleman, three were signed by previous manager Iain Dowie (Cairo, De Zeeuw and Hughes), two by his predecessor Micky Adams (Andrews and Hawkins) and three (Giddings, Hildreth and Davis) came through the ranks.

Ward confident City will stay up
Coventry City defender Elliott Ward feels the club should avoid relegation from the Championship. Ward scored a penalty for the Sky Blues in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Stoke City. The defender told SSB: "If we perform like we did first half against Stoke, then no-one will get near us. "We desperately want to stay in this division. We have to kick on all week. We have to train hard and build on the positives," he added. Coventry lie 21st in the Championship, one point and one place above the drop zone. They travel to bottom side Colchester on Saturday (19 April) looking for their first away victory in the league this year. Ward continued: "It's one we have to believe we are going to win. "We have to play for 90 minutes and defend as a team."

Coventry sign Beuzelin from Hibs
Coventry City have confirmed the signing of 29-year-old French midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin from Scottish Premier League side Hibernian. Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman told the club website: "We tried to sign him during the last transfer window. "He's someone I've admired for a long time and he's a very good player." Meanwhile, the Sky Blues are being linked with another move north of the border for Aberdeen's teenage striker Chris Maguire. The 19-year-old scored four goals in as many games for the Dons late on last season, two of them proving to be matchwinners. A potential fee of £300,000 has been mooted in reports in the Scottish press. As for Beuzelin, he has signed a two-year deal to become Chris Coleman's first 'permanent' acquisition since taking over in February. Beuzelin, signed by then Hibs boss Tony Mowbray from French side Le Havre in July 2004, made 117 appearances in his four seasons at Easter Road, netting 10 goals.

Coventry suffer Best injury blow
Coventry striker Leon Best will miss the start of the season after picking up a knee injury in Saturday's pre-season match at Kilmarnock. The 21-year-old former Southampton man lasted just 13 minutes in the 2-0 win. "He'll be out for between three and five weeks," Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman told the club website. "It's a big blow for us because Leon has been looking very good during pre-season. He's been showing his best form since I have been at the club."

Carlisle admit Birchall interest
Carlisle United manager John Ward has admitted an interest in Coventry City midfielder Chris Birchall. The 24-year-old Trinidad & Tobago international has been told he can leave the Ricoh Arena by City boss Chris Coleman. "I spoke to Chris Birchall's agent but I haven't spoken to Chris or the player," manager John Ward told Radio Cumbria. "I speak to agents probably five or six times a day so that's all it was." Birchall began his career with Port Vale where he scored nine times in 94 appearances for the club, picking up the Valiants' young player of the year award in 2005. His performances earned him a call up to the Trinidad & Tobago squad to become the first white player in 60 years to represent the country. His eligibility is due to his mother who was born in Port of Spain. Birchall went to the World Cup finals in 2006 where his impressive displays earned him a £300,000 move to Coventry on his return to England. However, his first-team opportunities have been limited and following an injury-hit loan spell with St Mirren last summer, Birchall has been told he does not feature in Chris Coleman's plans. Ward is set to be without midfielder Chris Lumsdon until November with a back injury but was quick to play down an imminent move for Birchall. "Chris Coleman might be wondering what I'm doing but I haven't spoken to Coventry or the player," Ward said. "I speak to a lot of agents about players at this time of the year with the transfer deadline approaching."

Ward makes up for penalty miss
Coventry City defender Elliott Ward never doubted his ability to keep his cool from the penalty spot - as he showed with Saturday's matchwinner. After missing at Sheffield United the week before, Ward this time converted a penalty to see off Queens Park Rangers at the Ricoh Arena. It earned Chris Coleman's men victory over Ward's old boss Iain Dowie. "I was always confident," Ward told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. "If you miss, you've got to bounce back." Ward's success from the spot was made all the more impressive, given that his team-mate Aron Einar Gunnarsson had publicly offered to take over penalty-taking duties from him. Coventry's win sent them climbing back up the Championship table to eighth, on the same mark as Reading, the team in the last of the play-off positions. The Sky Blues must now travel to Blackpool on Saturday to meet Simon Grayson's Seasiders, who lie just two places below them after a 1-0 weekend of their own - their shock victory over Birmingham City at St Andrew's.

Coleman pleased with Saints draw
Coventry City manager Chris Coleman said he was pleased after his side rescued a point against Southampton at St Mary's on Tuesday. Coleman told Coventry & Warwickshire: "We showed good courage and togetherness to get back into it. "One good thing is that Clinton Morrison has scored two in two and that will do him the world of good." The Sky Blues are currently 16th in the Championship, their last league win was against Southampton on 4 October. Coventry's next game is against local rivals Birmingham City at the St Andrew's on Monday night (kick-off 1945 GMT).

Coventry sign Henderson on loan
Coventry City have made their second loan signing this week, bringing in winger Jordan Henderson from Premier League Sunderland. The 19-year-old made his debut for the Black Cats earlier this season. "Henderson's a right-sided player who can also play in the centre," City manager Chris Coleman told Coventry & Warwickshire. Henderson will be available for Coventry up to and including Wednesday, 25 February. The Sky Blues' other loan signing, midfielder Lee Sawyer, joined on a temporary basis from Chelsea on Monday, making his debut in Wednesday night's 2-0 home defeat by Cardiff. The match ended an unbeaten run of seven matches for Coventry, whose game is on Saturday at Derby

Westwood expected to save penalty
Coventry goalkeeper Keiren Westwood has said he had a "gut feeling" he would save Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's injury-time penalty on Saturday. Ebanks-Blake won the spot-kick when he was tripped inside the area by Ben Turner but then saw his shot easily saved by Westwood. "I don't know why but I was confident and had a gut feeling I would save it," he told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. "I managed to save it and it is great to get three points." Meanwhile Sky Blues manager Chris Coleman said he is backing striker Freddy Eastwood to be a success at the club. Eastwood has only found the net on three occasions since his summer move from Wolves and was dropped to the bench for Saturday's victory over his former club. But Coleman said: "Freddy is different class, he has come here with big expectations. "It has not worked like we planned but I believe it is going to come right for him".

Morrison promises to remain vocal
Coventry City striker Clinton Morrison says handing the captain's armband back to Scott Dann does not mean he will be any less vocal on the pitch. Morrison acted as skipper while the defender was out of the team injured. "I'm happy to give it back to Scott. Scott's a good captain," he told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. "I think I've done well with it for the lads. "If I'm not loud or I don't shout or make noises you'll start asking me 'what's wrong?'" he added. Dann made his first start since December's defeat at Reading in the 1-1 draw at Burnley on Tuesday, and assumed full captain's duties. Morrison, who has earned a reputation over the years for speaking his mind to players, managers and press alike, is the Sky Blues' leading scorer this season with 10 - although he has not found the back of the net in City's last nine matches. "All I want to do now is concentrate on doing well for Coventry City and scoring goals and having a good end to the season," he added. "I've started to grow up. I'm a man now and obviously I can't be a child all the time."

Grayson hails Somma
In-form striker Davide Somma earned the praise of manager Simon Grayson after Leeds moved into fifth place with a 1-0 win over Coventry. South Africa international Somma netted after 56 minutes, his second decisive goal of the week after he earned Leeds a 2-2 draw at Hull on Tuesday night. Having ended last season on loan with League Two Lincoln, he has now scored 10 goals from as many npower Championship starts and his manager is delighted with his progress. "He's done brilliant to be fair," Grayson said. "We sent him out on loan last season, he started this season with a bang and then he was out of the team because of the formation we were playing, but he's scored whenever he's come off the bench. "He's still got a lot more work to do with his overall play, but he's certainly got that one thing that a striker lives off and that's knowing where the back of the net is. "He can shoot with both feet, he's strong, he works hard and he's got all the right ingredients. But to go from League Two to the Championship in half a season shows what the lad is capable of and I'm delighted we've got him."

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