Andy Thorn: Did he ever really have a first chance?

Coventry City appears almost evidently destined for a drop into the third tier of English football for the first time since 1964. Despite mathematically not yet consigned to relegation just yet not even the most optimistic of fan having memories of last day escapes etched in their past will see any flickers of light let alone a beacon of hope. 

The current states of affairs differ on great levels to a side that infamously escaped with victory at White Hart Lane some fifteen years previous.

For all the endeavor and honesty the players and management have shown, they have been let down by a boardroom who have been unable to facilitate financial support for a manager who regardless of people’s opinions was given a task of competing in a league minus several key members who finished off the season previously so well. A goalkeeper with international honours, a central defender who has made marked improvements in his game with the more responsibility afforded to him, a central midfielder who seemed to excel under Thorns stewardship at the end of last season and finally a controversial signing in the first place but a guaranteed marksman who’s ability to receive at feet to combine and penalty box prowess would have earned the team additional points over the season without any shadows of doubt; a spine of a team that under the management of Aidy Boothroyd had produced results but were eventually seemingly devoid of a plan B. Thorn with the same set of players initiated a completely differing philosophy with an adaptation to the formation whereby the midfield quartet were not an orthodox four across the middle but were narrower and resembled the shape of a diamond meaning the full backs provided the width in a system that was complimented by established championship playing staff and an attack minded mentality.

On a personal level it was this experimentation that was a warming factor towards Andy Thorn, a feeling that he was willing to adapt systems to gain an advantage over opposition rather than set up a basic 4-4-2, making sure to be organised without possession and to make fewer mistakes than the opponents. 

Focusing objectively since the start of the current season, without key personnel who finished the season so strongly previously, Thorn persisted with the diamond formation. People questioned the system and Thorn defended it the big issue was not managing the team tactically, perhaps not even coaching the team technically but observing and nurturing a young team on an emotional level.

This season, Coventry have let three points slip away at Selhurst Park, missed a last minute penalty to win the game at home to already promoted Reading and let three points slip at Bloomfield Road, never mind missing a plethora of chances at home to Millwall last Tuesday. Ultimately the team was lacking hence the inevitable relegation, not necessarily in terms of technical ability or tactical flexibility but in able to deal emotionally with the requirements of acquiring three points on match day.

There were players as young as 17/18 making expected mistakes, which are all part of a young player being able to develop into an independent decision maker on the field, but these mistakes were emphasized by the importance of the stage in which they were made on. Thorn had little choice regarding the players in which to select from, the occasions he was able to make moves in the transfer market were when Ben Turner was sold to pave a way for Cody McDonald and Lukas Jutkiewicz freed up space for Alex Nimley and Oliver Norwood, so bringing in players with ample first team playing experience was out of the question; players who will fully appreciate the rigorous physicality of 46 games and the impossibility of being able to perform to optimum levels for a full season. Therefore accepting mistakes in order to have the strength of character to perform again whilst blocking out the opinionative voice of the fans is a mental skill acquired through being subject to a period of time making mistakes and adapting and learning from it at a results based level. Something a sizable percentage of Coventry’s first team simply did not have. 

Compare this to the side that escaped at the death at Tottenham, there was a team with a plethora of first team match playing experience, a settled board room with the clubs energy focussed towards the playing affairs as opposed to fans, players and management falling out with the men in suits.

For all of the misdemeanour's that have affected the club this season, be it from player sales to fan vs. boardroom battles removing Andy Thorn is the very least of worries at this precise moment in time.