Every year I forget that the much awaited new season starts off at top speed only to come to a shuddering halt after 4 games (3 in the Prem) for the International Break. The whole mini-period is also characterised by the spectre of the transfer window. While Liverpool, Man City & Arsenal fans hope to bring in new multi-million superstars (hopes fully realised this year, spending the best part of a £billion between them), most Championship supporters live in dread of our best players being snatched away on the afternoon of deadline day.
As it turned out, the window was a pretty quiet one for Coventry fans. Frank didn't get to spend much of his promised war chest but losses were minimal. So let's sum them up.
Leaving
Of course the main news which not many of us saw coming was Club Captain Ben Sheaf packing up his bags to try his luck in Hollywood. Wrexham scooped him up for £6.5m. So after five years and 177 appearances (and 9 goals) one of our most popular players is on his way. Although many fans are devastated, I feel a bit more sanguine about it. Ben has been unlucky with injuries, averaging less than 30 games a season as a starter and hasn't been in the starting eleven yet this year, so the cynic in me feels that was a bit of good business.
The best news is probably that we successfully fended off all the interest in Jack Rudoni, Haji Wright & Bobby Thomas.
Also leaving the CBS were Luis Binks (£2.5m to Brondby) Raphael (on loan to Wigan), Norman Bassette on loan to Reims, Tavares on a free to Burton, where Bradley Collins also went, on loan.
Arriving
We didn't succeed in getting the high quality centre back we were after but did secure Luke Woolfenden from Ipswich for "an undisclosed fee". Luke did play every game in the season that the Tractor Boys got promotion from the Championship and about half their league games in the Prem last year. Otherwise, there have been just three arrivals: we spent £2.2m on Kaine Kessler-Hayden and hoovered up keeper Carl Rushworth on loan from Brighton and left back Miguel Angel Brau on a free from Granada. The good news, at least in my opinion, is that we have kept Milan van Ewijk despite all the rumours about his probable departure, given Kessler-Hayden's arrival. He's been on sparkling form so far this season and didn't look like a player whose mind was on foreign climes.
Pushing for promotion
So where does that leave us for the rest of the season? Well, it's obviously been a good start but probably not a great one. Most of us feel that the draws against Hull & Oxford comprised 4 points lost rather than 2 points gained. Of course the 12 goals against Derby & QPR were brilliant but the bottom line is that we have 8 points having played four teams all of whom seem destined to finish in the bottom half of the table and two of whom are already worried about relegation.
Norwich at home on Saturday 13th might give us a better clue of our realistic promotion prospects.
PUSB!
