COVENTRY LOAN TAARABT
Coventry City have taken young 18 year old Spurs winger Adel Taarabt on loan for 3 months. Taarabt was tol by manager Juande Ramos to go out and get some much needed match practice. Ramos believes that Taarabt will be a Premiership regular in 3 years at the most. Taarabt will wear the number 6 shirt.
MARTIN RETURNS
Coventry have recieved a MASSIVE boost going into their home game to Blackpool, their winger Lee Martin has returned from a bad injury, suffered in their 4-0 Cup defeat against Wigan.
24/11/07
After a poor result and performance away at Leicester, it was back home to face Blackpool. Blackpool were 2nd from bottom after promotion from League 1, and weren't fairing too well in a bigger pond, they weren't performing too well either with no win in 11, their last win was a great 4-2 win over Leicester. We had to fancy our chances.
Injuries now. Just the one casualty, with Phil Bardsley still out, but winger Lee Martin returned.
Now to the team news. A few changes from the defeat at Leicester, new loan signing Adel Taarabt started in midfield, and winger Lee Martin returned at left wing. De Zeeuw dropped out of the side after a poor performance and Daniel Fox returned from a ban.
----------------------Marshall
--Dann---------Varga-----Ward------Osbourne
-----Mifsud------Tabb-----Taarabt----Martin
----------------------Best-----Thiago
Subs (5): McKenzie, Osbourne, Doyle, Cairo, Thornton.
FORM GUIDE: (league)
Coventry: D D W W D L
Blackpool: L D D D D L
We arrived at the Ricoh looking forawrd to the game, and it was nice to see Adel (Taarabt) getting to know the boys so shortly after his loan move from Spurs, he is a very nice lad and has a good head on his shoudlers, and he isn't one of those players who thinks he is better than everyone else. I couldn't wait to see him in acton, he looks a real talent. We got into the dressing rooms, had a chat about the game ahead and out we went for a very important match.
A good start, Taarabt recieved the ball in he centre of goal 40 yards out, played a neat one two with Martin, hit a great shot from 30 yards, which hit the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Well played Taarabt. After a period of knocking the ball about, and not really posing a threat, on 36 mins, we won a free kick 20 yards out, Fox hit it with venom, and the ball seemed to go under the wall, off the post and in, what a free kick and it was 1-0. On 48 mins, we thought we'd got another, a great floated ball into the box from Scott Dann was nodded down by Best to Thiago who finished superbly, only for the flag to go up on the near side. Offsid, although it didn't look it. And that was the end to the half. It hadn't been that interesting, but we hadn't looked under any threat whatsoever, so I didn't change a thing at half time.
Just after the restart, we were dealt yet another injury blow, Lee Martin, just back from injury had to go off in what looked like quite a bad injury. The show had to go on so I brought on Kevin Thornton. On 74 mins, Blackpool had a great chance, Taylor-Fletcher nodded down a long free kick to Keigan Parker, who should have scored, but he strck wide of the mark. On 83 mins, I made my last changes, McKenzie and Cairo on for Best and Thiago. On 92 mins, we should have closed the game out, McKenzie was supebly put through on goal by Taarabt, his shot was saved, Mifsud decided to keep the ball in but his ball across the six uard box was gathered by the keeper. Full time was signalled, and it was another 3 points. We hadn't got a second goal, but it never felt needed, the defence was superbly led by Varga, and they never looked in doubt.
Coventry 1-0 Blackpool
Fox
Marshall-7
Dann-7
Varga-7
Ward-7
Fox-
8
Cairo-7
De Zeeuw-7
Tabb-7
Thiago-7
Mifsud-7
Best-7
-----------------
McKenzie-6
Osbourne-unused sub
Doyle-unused sub
Cairo-6
Thornton-7
Man Of The Match was Daniel Fox.
MARTIN OUT FOR 2-3 MONTHS
After just one game back from 1 bad injury, Lee Martin suffered another bad injury after he tore his groin in the 1-0 victory at Blackpool. Lee Martin said he was 'Gutted' to get another injury, and hoped to be back soon.