MARK Robins expressed his concern for Coventry City’s ‘lack of confidence’ following a 3-0 defeat away at Leeds United.
Wilfried Gnonto’s goal put Leeds ahead before second-half strikes from Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe made for a miserable afternoon for the Sky Blues at Elland Road.
City are only above the relegation zone on goal difference and Robins knows results must improve with the Sky Blues having won just one of their opening seven league matches.
Robins said: “For whatever reason there’s a lack of confidence and playing the ball forward for a start, we want to play forward and if you’re playing backwards, you’re inviting the press on and they press brilliantly and that’s how they’re set up and they have players willing to do it and we need to get to that level.
“We have to keep working. It’s not an ideal situation by any stretch of the imagination, when you’ve got a group of players who are trying to take an easier option, so the ball got played long to try and relieve some pressure.
“We have to accept that pressure, life is pressure, this is a game of football, and they have to understand that, go out and enjoy things because this is the best part of your day and your life, and it didn’t look like that.
“They looked like there were stresses on them and that needs to change because this is unsustainable with the lack of results, I know that, the players just need to free themselves up and have a go.”
Leeds broke the deadlock on 16 minutes when Gnonto fired a first time effort into the roof of the net from just inside the penalty area from Junior Firpo’s low ball in from the left.
The home side almost doubled their lead when Ben Wilson fumbled the ball before quickly denying Mateo Joseph and then keeping out Ilia Gruev’s effort from distance.
Wilson then made a fine acrobatic stop to push Largie Ramazani curling effort from 20-yards out behind for a corner.
Leeds created further chances before the break as Joseph fired narrowly over the crossbar and Ramazani shot wide from inside the box.
However, the home side eventually doubled their lead four minutes after half time when Wilson failed to keep out Bogle’s shot from 12-yards out.
And Leeds struck again on 79 minutes as Piroe finished Gnonto’s cutback through Wilson from 10-yards out.
City’s only meaningful effort on goal came late on as Illan Meslier produced a stunning save to tip Brandon Thomas-Asante’s effort from distance over the crossbar.
Following the defeat, Robins accepts City are performing below their own expectations but insists his side will eventually come through a poor run of form.
Robins added: “That isn’t anywhere near the levels that we’ve come to expect or expect now. We talk about a really good squad, and they are a good squad, there’s no doubt about it, there’s just some negativity in there and a bit of doubt and loss of confidence for whatever reason.
“It’s been a tough week in terms of mentality, but that is something I’ve experienced a few times in my career, and they do come through it, it’s just a moment.
“It’s easily solvable, but that’s easy for me to say, they need to pick that up and work with that and try and get themselves in a place where they’re in that positive space again.”
Coventry are next in action against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday, October 1 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
