When Coventry City hosts Hull City on Wednesday night, they need to put their FA Cup semi-final loss behind them and concentrate on the essentials of the Championship.
Realistically, only victory will maintain either team’s slim chances of qualifying for the playoffs. In order for the Sky Blues to catch up to West Brom and Norwich in the closing stages of an exciting Championship season, they must defeat the Tigers, even if they have an additional game in hand on the teams above them.
Liam Rosenior, the manager of the Tigers, was present at Wembley on Sunday to witness Mark Robins’ team pull off one of the most incredible FA Cup comebacks in history. The team had fallen behind 3-0 against Manchester United, but they had rallied to tie the score in the final 20 minutes before having a last-minute extra-time goal disallowed for offside.
According to Rosenior, Robins and his team demonstrated the quality of the second division and performed the Championship proud under the Wembley dome.
“They deserve all the praise. First of all, they are excellent self-representers who never gave up. He’s a man I enormously respect, as I’ve stated before every time we’ve played against his teams,” the Tigers head coach said to Hull Live prior to the pivotal game at CBS Arena.
“It was truly disappointing for his squad not to advance and win the game in extra time, given the way they represented him, the club, and themselves. They did an incredibly fantastic job representing the Championship. They not only shown the power of their own squad this season, but also the strength of the Championship, in this extremely difficult league with so many talented teams.”
Rosenior, a lifelong United fan, believed, along with the other 83,600 spectators at Wembley, that the game was over at 3-0 with 20 minutes remaining. However, the Sky Blues pulled off an amazing comeback, and they had a chance to win it at the end of extra time when Victor Torp’s goal was disallowed following a VAR check.
“I thought it was over, but with the mentality that Mark instills in his teams, they switch from a back five to a back four, and when you score a goal, everything changes. The fans were incredible as well; the atmosphere and energy in the stadium pick up, and it was just attack wave after attack, and that’s what the FA Cup is all about.
“What a fantastic occasion that was. It was simply a really, really good game and spectacle, and I was incredibly lucky to be there and scout them.
“Obviously, we’re not used to VAR in this league, so that was absurd. It’s incredible how little margins in football can alter the course of a season and propel a team to the FA Cup final. We’re eager to test our cunning against them now that the choice has been made. Overall, I don’t think Coventry left the field feeling regretful.”
The Sky Blues will now have to play again after playing for over 120 minutes on Sunday, but Rosenior believes that rather than being worn out, Coventry’s players will be encouraged by their performance against United.
“Every person is unique,” he clarified. “I believe there are two ways to look at it. They had to play a challenging game against a fantastic opponent for 120 minutes, which naturally saps your energy due to the highs and lows of adrenaline. However, I’m sure they gained a great deal of confidence from their performance against a fantastic team.
It just depends on how each person handles it. We know we’ll need to give it our all to win, regardless of their performance in the previous game or what transpired in it, so we’re planning and getting ready to play a really, really excellent squad.”
Chief Watford officer Tom Cleverley acknowledges referee frustration after Hull City’s draw.
Rosenior acknowledges that it is a do-or-die match since both teams know they must win. Despite the intense attention on Coventry, he feels it won’t be an easy ride for the hosts.
“Yes (do or die), it’s the games that you want to be involved in,” he replied. “There are two incredibly talented teams. They lost several excellent players in the summer, but Mark did a fantastic job managing their money and they are already reaping the rewards.
“They have played exceptionally well in the second half of the season. Although they are aware of our ability as a respectable club, it is going to be a very difficult encounter between two football teams that are both focused on winning.
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