FOOTBALL: THE JANUARY transfer window will either make or break the Sky Blues’ season according to new manager Russell Slade who tasted a heavy 4-1 defeat in his first game in charge away at Bristol Rovers.
The Sky Blues suffered a seventh consecutive defeat in the league at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday with skipper Jordan Willis scoring what proved to be little more than a consolation.
Slade is expecting to be busy in the transfer market next month as he looks to improve the club’s precarious position as they sit second from bottom just one point ahead of bottom-placed Oldham.
The 56-year old said: “We’ve got a big job on and January is going to be pivotal to whether we can get to safety or not.
“We’ve been making inquiries everywhere because we need some help, there is no doubt about that.
“That is my job now along with Mark Venus, to get the players who can play a part in making us safe this season.”
Billy Bodin was the hero for Rovers after he bagged a hat-trick but it was Peter Hartley who opened the scoring on 18 minutes when the home skipper glanced a header past Lee Burge in the City goal.
Andy Rose then wasted a good opportunity when he headed Lewis Page’s cross wide of the target when he perhaps should have pulled the Sky Blues level before half-time.
Five minutes after the break Bodin scored his first of the match when he beat Burge with a long range shot after cutting inside from the right.
The visitors responded well and found a route back into the match when Gael Bigirimana delivered a dangerous corner and Willis got the all-important touch in front of goal to make it 2-1 with 55 minutes on the clock.
But Bodin restored Rovers’ two-goal cushion with another effort from the edge of the box on 73 minutes and with six minutes remaining Bodin was brought down inside the area and made no mistake from the spot to score his third and Rovers’ fourth.
“What I couldn’t understand is that I felt we got ourselves back into the game at 2-1,” Slade added. It was a good response – but that is when we became stretched more than ever.
“It’s game management. You have to stay in the game, get nice and solid. Once they got a third goal that made it very difficult for us.
“Did we deserve to get anything? Of course we didn’t because you can’t go conceding four goals away from home.
“That’s what we’ll be working on because we can’t go conceding goals like we did and expect to get the points that will take us away from the bottom.
“My big thing is that we have to value the basics better; whether it’s a clearance, marking, or closing down – if we don’t value those basics we’re going to be in trouble.”
Up next for the Sky Blues is a trip to Peterborough on New Year’s Eve before hosting Bolton on January 2.
