Coventry (H) - 20th September 12:30 KO

[Ric Flair]

I think it'll be something like this

 

Stolarczyk

 

Hamza

Vestergaard

Faes

Thomas

 

Ricardo

Winks

James

 

Fatawu

Ayew

Mavididi

[FoxinNotts]

13 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I think it'll be something like this

 

Stolarczyk

 

Hamza

Vestergaard

Faes

Thomas

 

Ricardo

Winks

James

 

Fatawu

Ayew

Mavididi

I hope you are right 🤞🏻

[honeybradger]

16 hours ago, Wolfox said:

I’m being perfectly real…. We clearly see two different players…

 

I see one that hadn’t really dropped a defensive howler this season and dictates play from the back in a way few, if any, other championship defenders can 

 

You see what you see

Did you not watch the Preston game?

[Muzzy_no7]

I’d like to see Ricardo start and switch Hamza to LB, dropping Thomas. 
 

Winks, Skipp and James in midfield. 

[ClaphamFox]

26 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I think it'll be something like this

 

Stolarczyk

 

Hamza

Vestergaard

Faes

Thomas

 

Ricardo

Winks

James

 

Fatawu

Ayew

Mavididi

I could get behind that.

[Levi Port]

Faes has to come in, Okoli can’t kick a cat 

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, Levi Port said:

Faes has to come in, Okoli can’t kick a cat 

Surely that's a good thing? look what happened to Kurt Zouma

[Levi Port]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Surely that's a good thing? look what happened to Kurt Zouma

Having compared the progressive passing figures of both, taking the season Zouma kicked the cat (2021/22) and Okoli’s last 365 days, Okoli averaged 2.66 progressive passed per 90 compared with Zouma’s 1.43. 
 

So it would appear that not only is it inherently wrong to kick cats, but it also is a poor indicator as to how well a football player can play a line breaking pass. 
 

Still think Faes should come in as we can’t progress the ball well at all. Mr Skipp also culpable. 

[RonnieTodger]

I don’t get this “we only hate team X” attitude. Is it a midlands thing?

 

London, Yorkshire and Lancashire clubs all hate eachother, which is how it should be.

 

We have enough vanilla fixtures, why try and make this one?

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, honeybradger said:

Did you not watch the Preston game?

No, I was on holiday 

[Ted Maul]

40 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

I don’t get this “we only hate team X” attitude. Is it a midlands thing?

 

London, Yorkshire and Lancashire clubs all hate eachother, which is how it should be.

 

We have enough vanilla fixtures, why try and make this one?

I've seen a fair bit of it towards Middlesbrough too, but it's definitely odd. 

[LCFCCKEANO]

13 hours ago, Ian S said:

Well where I live there is a massive rivalry, Saturday is so important, my life will be a misery if it goes wrong 

I also have extended family in Cov, this has way bigger repercussions for me if we lose than any other game, it was unbearable for 6 months after our last away day to these

[Claridge]

50 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

I don’t get this “we only hate team X” attitude. Is it a midlands thing?

 

London, Yorkshire and Lancashire clubs all hate eachother, which is how it should be.

 

We have enough vanilla fixtures, why try and make this one?

Any fan who doesn't hate Cov can fxxk off  10 mins from the end. Cant be real fans

Edited 15 September 2025 by Claridge

[honeybradger]

41 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

No, I was on holiday 

Vestergaard was shockingly bad that game.

 

He has been solid since against Chartlon, Birmingham and Oxford (lower championship opposition) but his weaknesses are easily exploited.

 

Don't be surprised if he drops clangers against any team that has decent attackers.

[FoxinNotts]

Prediction: 2-2. Mavididi and James with our goals

[AKCJ]

I think this is our biggest rivalry these days. Recent games with Forest have been stale (aside from the game in April) and I can't even remember when we last played Derby whereas it feels like there's genuine hatred between us and Coventry. There's a real needle in the stands.

 

I actually think it's quite important that Hamza plays. I would have him and Ricardo in the team.

[indierich06]

Honestly we can no longer afford to play Skipp and Soumare in midfield - they are just so awful. We don't even have to - play Winks, play JJ, play Ricardo there, play Page - we can't let these two footballing terrorists get any more gametime.

[ramadaone]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I think it'll be something like this

 

Stolarczyk

 

Hamza

Vestergaard

Faes

Thomas

 

Ricardo

Winks

James

 

Fatawu

Ayew

Mavididi

As a 4-3-3 ?

Or one of the middle 3 playing as a 10 ?

 

Think that is arguably Marti's preferred best 11 for Saturday but not sure that fits into his preferred shape which always includes an atheltic hard working no 10 

Unless JJ can play that role maybe ?

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, ramadaone said:

As a 4-3-3 ?

Or one of the middle 3 playing as a 10 ?

 

Think that is arguably Marti's preferred best 11 for Saturday but not sure that fits into his preferred shape which always includes an atheltic hard working no 10 

Unless JJ can play that role maybe ?

Could be very adaptable with this personnel. James definitely can play further forward and perhaps when we face the stronger teams in this league we go a more robust midfield 3 than an out and out 10. Also I like Ricardo and Hamza being able to cover the positions they're used to but Hamza in theory be the RB and Riccy the midfielder.

[Gamble92]

1 hour ago, AKCJ said:

I think this is our biggest rivalry these days. Recent games with Forest have been stale (aside from the game in April) and I can't even remember when we last played Derby whereas it feels like there's genuine hatred between us and Coventry. There's a real needle in the stands.

 

I actually think it's quite important that Hamza plays. I would have him and Ricardo in the team.

There hatred of Forest doesn't compare with the others but this has become the second biggest. 

 

Up until the 2010s I'd say Derby was comfortably the 2nd biggest game but this one has taken on a whole new level now they actually have fans in the stand and resemble a bit of a normal club. 

[murphy]

2 hours ago, LCFCCKEANO said:

I also have extended family in Cov, this has way bigger repercussions for me if we lose than any other game, it was unbearable for 6 months after our last away day to these

If you are allowing Coventry fans to take the bragging rights I'm afraid you're just not trying. 

 

Regardless of who wins an individual EFL game and regardless of where we are now, you have an arsenal of ammunition to choose from.  We have eight trophies in the bank including the flippin Premier League title since they won their one and only. 

 

You can regale them with tales of Champions League. 

 

You need to raise your game. 

[FosseSpark]

4 hours ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

I’d like to see Ricardo start and switch Hamza to LB, dropping Thomas. 
 

Winks, Skipp and James in midfield. 

Skipp is an abomination of a footballer. He was laughing himself at how shit he was playing against Oxford. Like a competition winner, also has a bit of a simple 'i smile because i have no idea what is going on' look about him. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

I don’t know, in terms of derbies, it’s always been Forest first but Cov around the late 90s really took off and had a bit of needle. Admittedly, I forgot that until we played them 2 years ago and especially at their place that was a proper derby atmosphere. 
 

I’ve got the nerves, excitement, dread etc. the same feeling pre game I had before Forest last year. Absolutely a derby for me. A big one. And it’s great to have it. 
 

In comparison, Derby County has never felt like a derby to me. I’m early 90s and we’ve always beaten/been better than Derby. Like always. There was a period where a 4-1 v derby was a standard score. Even when they took Kitson we still came out on top. Plus, I don’t know any Derby fans. 
 

Forest and Cov - Cov was the first two fixtures I checked when the fixture list came out. I couldn’t tell you when we play derby- I appreciate that my different for other generations. 

Edited 15 September 2025 by Mickyblueeyes

[LCFCCKEANO]

29 minutes ago, murphy said:

If you are allowing Coventry fans to take the bragging rights I'm afraid you're just not trying. 

 

Regardless of who wins an individual EFL game and regardless of where we are now, you have an arsenal of ammunition to choose from.  We have eight trophies in the bank including the flippin Premier League title since they won their one and only. 

 

You can regale them with tales of Champions League. 

 

You need to raise your game. 

The conversation generally doesn’t reach that depth, it’s like most things, the most recent event counts for the most, same reason Liverpool fans would die rather than get beat by Everton/Yanited despite the last few years

[Fox92]

2 hours ago, FoxinNotts said:

Prediction: 2-2. Mavididi and James with our goals

Any chance of Mavididi actually turning up this season?